Search - David Friesen and John Stowell :: Other Mansions

David Friesen has been widely hailed - and rightly so - for his abilities as a bassist. His command of the instrument puts him in a class with few others (check out the harmonics he gets), but what makes Friesens music unique is his heart. All of his music has purpose; there are no flashy solos for solos sake. Friesen is at once an awesome instrumentalist, a master storyteller and perceptive ensemble player. Other Mansions teams Friesen with guitarist John Stowell, who has played on all of Friesens previous albums except Color Pool (Muse 5109), which was recorded before they met. Their constantly expanding common language has matured here, not only because of the cumulative nature of experience, but also because this is their first strictly duo outing. Friesen and Stowell have a complementary empathy which gives the music a band sound that is the envy of many a larger group. What makes this possible and beautiful is their mutual respect for one another and a willingness to use structures as foundations without allowing those structures to become barriers. They dont worry about stepping on each others toes, because they are thoughtful about every step they take. There is an ongoing sense of give and take. They are in a class with few others in that their music projects their personalities forcefully without their personalities forcing the music. [This music] will be inspirational to anyone with an open ear and an open heart. -W. Patrick Hinely, February, 1980