# Solo Double Bass?



## NoCoPilot (Nov 9, 2020)

Help me find some recordings of solo, acoustic, bowed (arco), stand-up, double bass.

Doesn't have to be classical literature although that would be fine.

I have a 2-disc set by *Rodion Azarkhin* which is wonderful, but I want more. I have solo bass albums by Michael Manring and Eberhard Weber and Ron Carter and Dave Holland and Paul Chambers and Barre Phillips and Richard Davis and Percy Heath and Jaco Pastorius and a couple others whose names aren't coming to me right now, but they're mostly plucked (pizzicato) or electric bass, and mostly jazz. What I want is something that really displays the awesome beauty of a real acoustic bass fiddle. There's nothing like 'em, in person.

There is this list I found online, but again it's mostly electric & mostly jazz.
https://www.freejazzblog.org/2007/10/solo-bass-albums.html

I need input from you CM experts.


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## NoCoPilot (Nov 9, 2020)




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## jegreenwood (Dec 25, 2015)




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## NoCoPilot (Nov 9, 2020)

In the words of Meg Ryan, "Yes! Yes! Yes!"


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## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

NoCoPilot said:


> Help me find some recordings of solo, acoustic, bowed (arco), stand-up, double bass.
> 
> Doesn't have to be classical literature although that would be fine.
> 
> ...


*Gary Karr* is one of the best known 2ble bass soloists, a real virtuoso...
I know there are YouTube selections, and I'm sure solo albums as well...

for composers - Bottesini and Dragonetti [Beethoven's bassist] wrote showpiece solos for 2ble bass


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## SanAntone (May 10, 2020)

Andrés Martín: Sonata for Solo Double Bass






Adam Ben Ezra






Stanley Clarke - Bass Folk Song






Flight of the Bumble-Bee for two Double Basses arranged for two Double Basses and performed by Lev Weksler.






Esperanza Spalding performing "On The Sunny Side Of The Street"


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

NoCoPilot said:


> Help me find some recordings of solo, acoustic, bowed (arco), stand-up, double bass.
> 
> Doesn't have to be classical literature although that would be fine.
> 
> ...


Bjorn Ianke recorded Klaus Huber's Ein Hauch von Unzeit on a CD for Simax.
Florentin Ginot recorded Rebecca Sauder's Fury
Michael Francis Duch made a CD of Lene Grenager's music for solo bass

More later if you say this is the sort of thing which interests you. If not, I'm sure someone recorded the Bach cello suites on bass, I forget who!


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## NoCoPilot (Nov 9, 2020)

I wish there were more recordings of the octobass, but there are I think only three instruments in the world, and two are in museums.


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

Mandryka said:


> More later if you say this is the sort of thing which interests you. If not, I'm sure someone recorded the Bach cello suites on bass, I forget who!


Edgar Meyer (see also post 3).....


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## NoCoPilot (Nov 9, 2020)

Heck148 said:


> *Gary Karr* is one of the best known 2ble bass soloists, a real virtuoso.


Gary did 3 CDs of "The Suzuki Method Bass School" which are short (under 1:00) exercises for students, some with piano. They're wonderful full-bodied recordings with a lot of emphasis on the full open strings... but way too short.


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## SuperTonic (Jun 3, 2010)

Its a bit jokey, but its fun. A piece called Failing by Tom Johnson.


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## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

NoCoPilot said:


> Gary did 3 CDs of "The Suzuki Method Bass School" which are short (under 1:00) exercises for students, some with piano. They're wonderful full-bodied recordings with a lot of emphasis on the full open strings... but way too short.


It's too bad his solo albums did not make it to the CD/digital era....he's a great bass soloist....same with Maurice Allard in the bassoon world - marvelous artist, great player, but few, if any, of his solo discs made it to CD...


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## tortkis (Jul 13, 2013)

There are many solo bass albums of jazz, free improvisations, new/experimental music, but I don't know of any album dedicated to solo bass by non avant-garde classical composers.

Gubaidulina: Eight Studies for double bass solo (selections)





Weinberg: Sonata for Solo Contrabass Op. 108 (1971), Joel Quarrington





Vincent Persichetti: Parable XVII for double bass, Op. 131 (1974)


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## RobertKC (Dec 9, 2013)




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## hammeredklavier (Feb 18, 2018)

Alexander Verster: Six Vignettes for Double Bass (2018)
1. Prelude 0:07
2. Reverie 1:59
3. Dirge 4:25
4. Berceuse 8:10
5. Lament 10:14
6. Denouement 11:17


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## Vasks (Dec 9, 2013)

Heck mentioned Gary Kerr, but Bertram Turezky is also a well-known solo double bass player, you might explore more than just what's here


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