Playing a five-string acoustic bass, Renaud Garcia-Fons offers a type of global music that owes some of its potency and stylistic flexibility to jazz improvisation. But Garcia-Fons writes in the short liner note to Orienta... more »l Bass that his dream of a bass "half Gypsy and half Mauretanian" takes the instrument through Andalusia and the Mediterranean. His compositions travel the same routes, drawing in trombone, flutes, accordion, flamenco guitar, tablas, lute, derbouka, daf, and more. The mix of hand percussion from Eastern Europe and North Africa with flamenco flairs makes Garcia-Fons's music dizzying. This is very springy music, bouncing and bounding with choruses of horns pulsing powerfully. Few composers can balance, much less thrive in, the panoply of national styles that Garcia-Fons draws in with Oriental Bass. --Andrew Bartlett« less
Playing a five-string acoustic bass, Renaud Garcia-Fons offers a type of global music that owes some of its potency and stylistic flexibility to jazz improvisation. But Garcia-Fons writes in the short liner note to Oriental Bass that his dream of a bass "half Gypsy and half Mauretanian" takes the instrument through Andalusia and the Mediterranean. His compositions travel the same routes, drawing in trombone, flutes, accordion, flamenco guitar, tablas, lute, derbouka, daf, and more. The mix of hand percussion from Eastern Europe and North Africa with flamenco flairs makes Garcia-Fons's music dizzying. This is very springy music, bouncing and bounding with choruses of horns pulsing powerfully. Few composers can balance, much less thrive in, the panoply of national styles that Garcia-Fons draws in with Oriental Bass. --Andrew Bartlett
CD Reviews
GASP!
David Howells (dave.howells@bris.ac | Bristol, England | 10/18/1999
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Wind your amp up to about as far it will go, sit back and head off for horizons new. This has everything; brilliant musicianship, toons to blow your socks off, breathtaking time changes, and a double bass player from heaven. If you like original cross-over music, YOU'LL NEED THIS!!"
Check this out
David Howells (dave.howells@bris.ac | 07/25/1999
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This album is a combination of highly sensitive and articulate solos over strong trance-like rythm and bass-line. Other music I would describe this way (though clearly of a different style)would be from John Scofield Michael Brecker and Scott Henderson. What makes this album very different and exciting is the freshness of its influences and the originality of the instrumentation... it's truely amazing that Garcia-Fons pulled this off! Listen!"
One of a kind
Bass lover | North Carolina, USA | 09/01/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"The shear viruosity of Renaud Garcia-Fons is literally jaw dropping. Unlike most "jazz" bassists, he plays the majority of his solos con arco (with a bow) often in high treble registers. Elements of old Mahaveshnu Orchestra seem to me to come through in the solos. It is a unique musical vision, with unparallelled, and actually, amazing execution. Worth more than a casual listen. It took me several times listening to the cd to fully appreciate it. 5 stars excellent"
Not bad at all
stephane nestel | antwerp Belgium | 12/29/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"i think it is a great cd with many great ideas of composition.
but i regret that in the fourth song ,he does not continue at the end of the song.it is very powerfull.
buy it!!!!!"
Track Listings (10) - Disc #1