Walking Dark Album review

Hi bass lovers!

Jasper Hoiby - Double bass player

Here it comes my personal review of "Walking dark" the fourth album edited by Phronesis. As i said earlier this band is led by the double bass player Jasper Hoiby. He is the leader but he is not the band. In this album we can clearly see that all musicians have a very strong contribution in the music composition. In the end, as a fan of bass and double bass above all other instruments, I humbly say that the pianist Ivo Neame and the drummer Anton Eger are both as good as Jasper Hoiby.

Now lets talk about the album. As i opened the CD case and read the title, the first impression was that i would be listening to a dark kind of jazz in the hours to come. The art and the title clearly suggest that. In my opinion that's not entirely true. In the album we find songs that take us to a melancholic state and others that made you feel kinda strange. For example, while listening to The economist I found myself with an huge desire to get up from my chair and start to dance like if i were in the middle of a dance club. On the other hand the four songs that come before the The economist are introspective and mysterious. The "dark" presented in the album starts in Charm defensive and ends in Zieding. Before that we can find very good songs where you can find all the power that comes from the double bass played by Jasper. For example in Suede Trees, a very "simple" music that can light up your day.

Anton Eger - Drummer

Ivo Neame - Pianist

My favorite songs off all are The economist and Zieding. That's were the irony comes, these songs are composed by the drummer Anton Eger (I feel that a couple of my friends won't shut up about this... I'll take that risk). In the The economist the synergy between Ivo Neame and Anton Eger is absolutely amazing, the results are described in the previous paragraph. My advice is that you don't listen to this album, especially this music, while you are in your pause at work... you can find yourself doing something stupid like i almost did.


In the end this is a totally must buy for a jazz lover. Here you can find some really good songs performed by really good musicians. One more time, Phronesis in their best. Note that this is a personal review, all the bright and dark are personal. I'm always open to positive or negative comments as long as their are constructive.

Walking Dark - Phronesis

Track list

1 - Walking Dark 

2 - Passing Clouds 

3 - Democracy 

4 - Suede Trees 

5 - Upside Down 

6 - Charm Defensive 

7 - Lipwash - part I 

8 - Lipwash - part II 

9 - Zieding 

10 - The Economist 

11 - American Jesus 

12 - Eight Hours

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Best bass Songs - Part 1

Hi

In this upcoming series of posts, I'll propose a series of songs where bass is the lead instrument, has a very important role (it always has) or simple it's in the back doing it's job (a fundamental job, most people doesn't think like that, most can barely hear it...)

"Best bass songs" can be a misleading name. This songs can have other performers in their respective instruments that are as good as the bass player. The most important thing it's that they are all good songs with great bass players.

In the end of ten post with this tag, I'll propose a poll so you can say what's the best song for you. You can always propose one in the comments in the posts to come.

My first song is People, a song by King Crimson with awesome bass lines. This song has a peculiar sound in the low notes... Tony Levin at some moments of the song  plays the bass with his "funk fingers" and we can hear Chapman Stick at this low register.

For the people that don't know what are "funk fingers" or a Chapman stick I'll just post two pictures of this first "tool" and second instrument. Funk fingers were invented by Tony Levin. He is the featured bass player of this best bass song.

"Funk fingers"

Chapman stick

Here is Tony Levin, for many people considered one of the greatest bass players. Check bassist directory to know more about this great bassist.

Tony Levin

Stay tuned,

Eremita

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Phronesis - Great Double Bass and more

Hello!

Its with great pleasure that I present you Phronesis. Formed in 2005 and with their first album released in 2007, they quickly achieved a great reputation in the jazz world. They are a jazz trio leaded by the double bassist Jasper Hoiby. Next to him are Ivo Neame at the piano and Anton Eger at the drums. Nowadays they are known as one of the most successful  jazz trios present in the UK. Stay with Abrahams New Gift from the album Green Delay (2009), really nice music. Take a good look at that first riff from Jasper Hoiby at double bass.

Now, why am i posting this band, at this moment? Because they are released a new album! Yes, more of them is always welcome. The album's name is "Walking dark". I did not listen to it already but as soon I get this heard at least 20 times I will post a personal review. Visit their website to know more and to listen to a few tracks from them. If you are in UK you can see them performing live at May 13 and few other dates next to this one.

Phronesis - Walking Dark released April 2012

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John myung

Hi!

One more bassist for you...

John Myung is his name and he plays bass in Dream Theater. Personally I'm a fan of this band. You can say that they are just masters of their respective instruments and don't really make music. That's not false at all. My opinion is that they do what just a few can, complicated music that sounds good! Showoff solos, and next some melodic music in the same song. That just drives me crazy. I just would like to see more of him in Dream Theater. 

Now John. Elected Best bass player of all time by the readers of Music Radar magazine and  he is present in the Long Island Music Hall of Fame.

Stay tuned with this music from him. Really nice one, and a bit different from what he does in Dream theater.

Read more from this bass player in his myspace and in Dream Theater's site.

John and other bass players will be indexed soon into bassists directory, don't forget to check it out.

Best,

Eremita

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John Patitucci

 Hello,

This post is for my friends "Fakes" and... She has a true name but i don't remember it, i just can remember her face...------------------------------------------------------------------------------->

She is in an Erasmus program at Salermo University. It's with a bit of jealousy that i write this, check the pictures bellow and realize why. Italy... While i'm in University of Minho, surrounded by roads and sick urbanization, she is in that country... NOT FAIR!

At this point "Batmuma" is crying thinking that she's been forgotten. Not true... (Paint is an amazing tool)

Now 2 fotos from Italy to justify my jealousy...

And the most important thing, lets "Bass talk".

I just found this Italian bass player, and guess what, he is an amazing bass and double bass player. His name is John Patitucci. He has a solid career in jazz music. He actually won various prizes and polls in the jazz world. Check his official website.

Stay with this interpretation of Bach by John Patitucci.

Best,

30''

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Victor Wooten once again

Hi


Check bassists directory, some new bass players added. This is a bit of you can find there:


"...I ask myself, could i walk when i was two? Probably yes, but i certainly fell a few times at this age. Well Victor already played at this age and started performing at the age of six..."



Now Victor, once again. One thing that i love in Victor is his easiness to make things look easy. Therefore, my post today is a type of video that i love to see from him, a lesson.

Stay tuned!

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Victor Wooten

Hello!

At this moment you should be asking yourselves "How about that guy with a roud face and round fingers that plays bass like no one else?".
Yes I know him, he's Victor Wooten and he is the best bassist alive. Godlike technique and composition, ends in some superb songs that you can hear in his discography.

Leave you now with a video from him. Not his most famous one, but a very good one.

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Primus - Les Claypool

Hi

Do you know Les Claypool or Primus? If you don't you are about to know. In this video you'll see some power bass, and some peculiar sounds and lyrics. A failed audition for bass player of metallica made Hetfield and his crew a bit stupid. In the end they said that Les were too good for metallica.

Check bassist directory!

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Two bass band

Hi

Did you already see a band with two basses? Here is an example of such beauty. Some crazy bass lines and effects. Let me know if you liked it or not. The singer and lead bassist is Rhoda Smith. I will update more of these artist so you realize how good she is.

Feel free to check Bassist directory to learn more about her.

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Bassists Directory Updated

Hi!

Check out the Bassists directory! Don't miss the chance to know two more bassists.

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Colin Edwin

Hi bass enthusiasts!

I present you Colin Edwin. This is one off my favorite bassists in my favorite band, can't hide it from you... Just check out this music. I know that 20 minutes can look a little to much, but believe me you will not be wasting your time. Amazing bass lines and amazing overall music!

Actually i love all the musicians in this band, and Colin does some really cool simple things (actually not that simple).

Feel free to check this band and all the side projects that they have... They are all very good.

Check Bassists directory to know more about this bassist.

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SMV - The bass supergroup

There are some bands that we all know that are super groups. A Perfect Circle, Velvet Revolver and Foo Fighters are good examples of this. What's not that common it's a super group were we only see bassists. The result is a spectacular album that is a must for every bass lover. Victor Wooten, Marcus Miller and Stanley Clarke in the same stage? What do you want more?

Released in 2008, Thunder from SMV

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