Reproducing “low-pitched tone,” especially bass note, is one of the greatest pleasures for audiophiles, but occasionally it can be a source of distress. The bass instrument is the core feature of a band leading the music. I have selected three albums capturing the appeal of the powerful yet delicate sound the bass. The performances and recordings are just marvelous.

#196 Rich Expression of Vitous' Bass Tone Spreading Beautifully with Moderate Reverberation

Moravian Romance / Miroslav Vitous & Emil Viklicky
(Venus Records SACD VHGD-320)

Super bassist Miroslav Vitous, a native of the Czech Republic, garnered attention as a member of the first "Weather Report" in the 1970s, and since then, the wide range of activities including his own projects and collaborations with orchestras have become popular topics of conversation. In this album, Vitous is performing in a duo with a fellow pianist, Emil Viklicky, who served as the head of the Czech Jazz Society for several years. While Viklicky has been widely active as a pianist and a composer, he has made it his lifework to pass on to the next generation the ancient folk melodies of the Moravian region in the eastern part of the Czech Republic he has deeply interested in. The duo's stage performance makes us fully realize the empathy they feel for each other's music. The duo's performance goes beyond mere harmonization—the emotional exchange sometimes gives out sparks, and melts together beautifully as the music flows.

The repertoire includes many traditional melodies, which Viklicky revives as contemporary music with his creative use of harmonies. The folk melodies of ＜Love, Oh Love＞ and ＜Desire＞ are fully reflecting the melancholic atmosphere of Moravia. The classical timbre of Viklicky 's original ＜Sweet Basil＞ and ＜Highlands, Lowlands＞ are featured, and ＜Clarinet Theme from 5th Part of Sinfonietta＞, a work of Leoš Janáček, one of the nation's most popular composers, is also included.

Furthermore, we should focus on the remarkable recording which captured their performance vividly, especially the powerful tone, technique, and rich expression of Vitus's bass. It was the recording of the live performance at the festival in Brno, a major city of Moravia in 2018. The beautiful acoustic sound in the venue, the String Theater, was captured with the moderate reverberation. Even though you can enjoy the album on a CD, I strongly recommend you to listen to the music on a high-quality SACD.

#197 Overwhelming Presence of Bassist, Christian McBride

Live at the Village Vanguard / Christian McBride Trio
(Mack Avenue ⇒ King International KKE-052)

I just introduced Christian McBride's work in June this year (♯182). Recorded at the end of 2014 at the Village Vanguard club in New York City, this is the second album of the trio McBride formed. The composition of piano, bass, and drums is the same as a regular piano trio, but having McBride as the leader, it is virtually a “bass trio.” McBride's bass is the driving force of the band inspiring the other members and leading the performance briskly, which is exhilarating! McBride has an overwhelming presence as a soloist and a leader.

As if he is inspired by McBride, Christian Sands’ piano playing reaches the climax by making the full use of his outstanding technique. A super up-tempo and undisturbed flow of ＜Cherokee＞ is included together with ＜The Lady in My Life＞ in Michael Jackson's 1983 album, “Thriller.” McBride, known as a fanatic of James Brown, encouraged the audience to join in Rose Royce's hit song, ＜Car Wash＞, creating a joyful funk atmosphere. McBride's technique is so brilliant, and the sound is so vivid that it makes us feel as if we are watching the movement of his fingers live. Above all, the groove McBride is exuding is incredible.