Search - Yves Carbonne :: Seven Waves

A sub-bass sonic wonderland

C. Hoard | Southern California | 03/15/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Before I first heard about this recording, I was thinking first--how could somebody playing such a difficult instrument as a 12 string fretless sub-bass actually make interesting music? Second I was thinking it would be simply another overly technical bass laden clinic exercise with too many notes, and no coherent musical vision. But this CD was something much, much more than a showcase for another talented bass player -- Yves Carbonne thought about music first, and I was stunned by both the quality of the songs and instrumentals, and the unique sonic qualities, chordal phrasings, and strong melodies that make Seven Waves a delight, and something that contrasts from another athletic bass fusion festival, with the obligatory homages to Jaco, Stanley, or Marcus Miller...



Teaming with an unusual jazz and soul singer, Guillaume Eyango, this album runs through a gamut of moods and modern jazz styles -- with unusual instrumental colorings by the extended range bass instruments -- and whether the style is aggressive funk or reflective and pastoral--the melodies dominate in a beautiful context of unusual harmonies and harmonics. Carbonne is intuitively a musician first, and a bass guitarist and orchestrator second. His choice of instrumentation is unusual -- sometimes bass in solo and duo, often a drums/bass/vocals/harmonica mix--and despite this, Seven Waves is one of the most sonically rich recordings of audiophile quality I've heard in a long time. This CD features a beautiful duet with bass great Michael Manring, and the title track sounds more like FM progrock than jazz, while other tracks are harder to categorize, but explore the more spiritual and gentle side of electric music. Through it all, Carbonne's approach to his craft remains consistent, heartfelt, and playful.



Make no mistake, he occasionally unleashes fiery, virtuosic riffs--but he uses his talent sparingly, and instead what results is a sonically masterful recording, which will appeal both to fans of Jaco Pastorius, Percy Jones, and other fretless greats--but to a broader audience open to strong music that crosses over from the mellow intonations of Pat Metheny to the irrepressible funk of the Brothers Johnson: you just hear these influences here in a whole different lower and higher register!



--Hoardman"