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Music from Two Basses

 
Album Review: Music from Two Basses

Review

Originally released on ECM in 1972, and here reissued on CD in Japan, this historic date features the two British bassists engaged while at the top of their powers, exploring not only tonality and the dynamic and harmonic possibilities that exist between two double basses, but also the expanded notions of how the different players' styles and musical intuitions dovetail, rather than work in opposition. Holland's pizzicato attack is far more languid and lush than Phillips,' whose style is over the top; they approach each encounter as one in which sheer propulsiveness becomes an aesthetic. This does not mean it all feels like extreme free blowing, but more, because of Phillips' edge and his solidly jazz arco approach -- Holland's sound has more of the classical in it -- the proceedings dance on the knife-edge of communication and noise. They slip around one another in a very aggressive dance, where implements of melody becomes a schema from which to jump into a deliriously moving expanse dynamically. There is simply no bass recording like this one, and over 30 years after its release, it is still a classic, an astonishing look at how intimate and instinctive musical communication can really be. ~ Thom Jurek, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track TitleComposersPerformersTime
Improvised Piece I Dave Holland, Barre Phillips Dave Holland, Barre Phillips (10:33)
Improvised Piece II Barre Phillips, David Holland Barre Phillips, David Holland (7:46)
Beans Barre Phillips Barre Phillips, David Holland (3:10)
Raindrops David Holland Barre Phillips, David Holland (4:13)
May Be I Can Sing It for You Barre Phillips Barre Phillips, David Holland (1:48)
Just a Whisper David Holland Barre Phillips, David Holland (4:57)
Song for Clare David Holland Barre Phillips, David Holland (4:52)

Credits

Vinny Golia (Cover Design), Dave Holland (Bass), Dave Holland (Cello), Barre Phillips (Bass), Manfred Eicher (Producer), Martin Wieland (Engineer), Barbara Wojirsch (Layout Design), Jörg Becker (Photography)
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Album Review. Copyright © 2009 All Media Guide, LLC. Content provided by All Music Guide ®, a trademark of All Media Guide, LLC. All rights reserved.  Read more