I'm almost sure, pals... this is the VERY best recording of double-bass I'm aware of... and, believe me, I'm quite an obsessive double-bass music collector with more than 100 different discs on the matter...
Vinyl or disk... who cares... the music is geometric and also the Paul Bley's piano is masterfully captured... BUT Gary Peacock's majestic instrument and playing is SUPERB, period!
BEWARE - don't be fooled by the very first track... Bley's piano sounds quite crappy... like a shitty, cheap plywood, chinese-made instrument, sure not the Bosendorfer Imperial usually played by Bley in countless recording, Owl label from France in primis.
Magically, after this so-so clickety clackety beginning... BANG! The piano is - sure is - another faaar better instrument and the music flows and flows...
The double-bass? TO BE HEARD TO BE BELIEVED... full bodied, airy, woody and playing in a definite space, all the fretboard and body noises and rubbing are here, adding a sense of trueness.
Impeccable recording and quite an experience.
... not an easy task finding a copy of this elusive disk on Soul Note label from Italy, BUT, nonetheless, much worth the effort of searching and chasing for it.
You won't regret...
Enjoy!
Hi Stefano, I picked up a CD version of this recording after seeing your recommendation, and it is indeed wonderful. The sound is so fantastic, it is almost like cheating, to demonstrate the great sound of my system... Thanks for the tip!
ReplyDeleteCheers from Brooklyn, NY,
Sean