Music and its tools: Glen Moore's 1715 Klotz double-bass

Glen Moore (born October 28, 1941 in Portland, Oregon) is a jazz bassist who occasionally performs on piano, flute and violin.

His performing career began at age 14 with the "Young Oregonians" in Portland, Oregon where he met and played with Native American saxophonist, Jim Pepper. He graduated with a degree in History and Literature from the University of Oregon. His formal bass instruction started after college with Jerome Magil in Portland, James Harnett in Seattle, Gary Karr in New York, Plough Christenson in Copenhagen, Ludwig Streicher in Vienna and Francois Rabbath in Hawaii. For the past 30 years, Glen has played a Klotz bass fiddle crafted in the Tyrol circa 1715 on which he has made extensive use of a unique tuning with both a low and high C string (CADC).

Moore is a founding member of Oregon, but worked also regularly with Rabih Abou-Khalil, Nancy King and Larry Karush.

Moore's recordings outside of Oregon:

*"This is It" (1967) — with Nick Brignola
*"This is Jeremy Steig" (1969) — with Jeremy Steig, Warren Bernhardt, Donald MacDonald
*"Road" (1970) — Paul Winter Consort, with Ralph Towner, Paul McCandless, Collin Walcott, and David Darling
*"Bass Is" (1970) — with Dave Holland, Jamie Faunt, Peter Warren
*"Revenge: Bley - Peacock Synthesizer Show" (1970) — with Annette Peacock, Paul Bley
*"Bird on Wire" (1971) — with Tim Hardin
*"Trios/Solos" (1972) — co-leader with Ralph Towner; with Paul McCandless and Collin Walcott
*"I'm the One" (1972) — Annette Peacock
*"24th May 1976" (1976) — duet with Larry Karush
*"Introducing Glen Moore" (1978) — with David Darling, Zbigniew Seifert, Jan Hammer
*"No Age" (1987) - Minimal Kidds
*"Impending Bloom" (1990) — with Nancy King, Rob Thomas, Jerry Hahn, Lawrence Williams
*"Cliff Dance" (1991) — with Nancy King
*"Mokave Vol. 1" (1991) — with Larry Karush and Glen Velez
*"Mokave Vol. 2" (1991) — with Larry Karush and Glen Velez.
*"Alligator Dancing" (1992) — with Nancy King
*"Al-Jadidah" (1992) — with Rabih Abou-Khalil
*"Afrique" (1993) — with Larry Karush and Glen Velez
*"Between Dusk and Dawn" (1994) — with Rabih Abou-Kahlil
*"Bukrah" (1994) — with Rabih Abou-Kahlil
*"Tarab" (1994) — with Rabih Abou-Kahlil
*"Roots and Sprouts" (1994) — with Rabih Abou-Kahlil
*"Returning" (1995) — duet with David Friesen
*"Forces of Flight" (1995) — with Jerry Granelli
*"Dragonetti's Dream" (1996) — unaccompanied bass
*"King on the Road" (1999) — with Nancy King, Rob Scheps
*"Nude Bass Ascending" (1999) — with Carla Bley, Steve Swallow, Rabih Abou-Khalil, Arto Tuncboyaciyan
*"Birdfingers" (2002) — with Larry Coryell


A fantastic instrument, indeed... I was lucky enough to listen to him alive three times - always playing his Klotz's - with Oregon, both with and without Collin Walcott (a fond R.I.P. for him!), BUT I guess Glen only uses it now for studio work and at home, while he uses an excellent, newer instrument better standing the abuses of hard-road gigging worldwide.



... but, if the case, you'll sure recognize Klotz's from its thunderous sound - remember the a.m. "C" low string - the "lion-shaped" peghead and quite battered appearance!