Bassists Without Borders

[mjzee]

Avant-garde art is often criticized for its complexity and self-indulgence, and for its disdain for matters beyond aesthetics. “Deep Tones for Peace,” an international musical project involving 13 high-profile bass players from around the world, might just be the most compelling argument yet against such criticism. The project, whose CD/DVD combo has just been made available from Kadima Collective, brings together sophisticated conceptual art, global social justice, refreshing accessibility and groundbreaking technology.

The project began in early 2007 as a conversation between Jean Claude Jones, a renowned Israeli bassist with French and Tunisian roots, and his American colleague, Barre Phillips, a jazz legend famous for having recorded the world’s first solo bass album in 1968. The two maestros discussed their feelings about the Middle Eastern conflict and decided to put together an international bass festival — a “rally for peace,” as Jones wrote in an e-mail to the Forward.

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The Forward