Friday, April 3, 2015

Eberhard Weber, Encore

Eberhard Weber has been one of the sound-and-substance innovators of the electric upright bass over the years, in addition to being a composer who had a big part in shaping what we think of as "the ECM sound." Very sadly, because of physical problems, he can no longer play. With adventure and courage he has managed to make some excellent music in the last two albums, the second at hand being Encore (ECM B0022752-02). He has done this by utilizing the many bass solos that were recorded as a spotlight of live recordings made of the Jan Garbarek group, when Eberhard had a chance to invent unaccompanied bass improvisations.

Eberhard has taken these solos and made them the basis of new music, by manipulating them sonically, adding keyboard parts (played with his left-hand) and then having Ack van Rooyen participate on flugelhorn as soloist and ensemble member.

What we get is surprisingly good, very good indeed. The Weber bass is out front and everything you would wish it to be and the structures Weber builds around the solos along with van Rooyen's nice contributions make for some really fetching music.

It makes you remember what a great he has been, but then it gives you something of the greatness again! Hear it!

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