Solo bass records

[Pim]

As I was listening to the Sankt Gerold Tapes by Evan Parker, Barre Philips and Paul Bley I really enjoyed the parts where Phillps was soloing. Well I enjoyed every single part of the album but it made me realize i havent got a solo bass record. So my question: what are your favorite bass solo albums? Thy may only name five 

 

 

[jlhoots]

Reginald Workman: The Works Of Workman

[B. Clugston]

Barre Philips has recorded many excellent solo albums. Call Me When You Get There is probably the best but the relatively recent End to End is a good one, too.

John Lindberg’s Comin’ and Goin’ is excellent. 

[Guy Berger]

1 hour ago, Pim said:

As I was listening to the Sankt Gerold Tapes by Evan Parker, Barre Philips and Paul Bley I really enjoyed the parts where Phillps was soloing. Well I enjoyed every single part of the album but it made me realize i havent got a solo bass record. So my question: what are your favorite bass solo albums? Thy may only name five 

 

 

Side note, this is a great album, as is the same trio’s Time Will Tell.

[optatio]

I only have this CD:

There are surprisingly many solo bass records: https://doublebasshq.com/a-chronological-listing-of-unaccompanied-double-bass-albums/ 

[Rabshakeh]

Some favourites:

Maarten van Regteren Altena - Handicaps

Mark Dresser - Unveil

Peter Kowald - Was Da Ist

Barry Guy - Irvin's Comet

Domenico Sciajno - Broken Bridge

Joelle Leandre - Contrebassiste (Taxi)

Hard to pull off a solo bass record in my view. I have listened to many. Lots are excellent but few are really top tier. Given how important the *sound* of the instrument is, a lot comes down to sound quality in my opinion. 

If you're willing to broaden to cello:

Abdul Wadud - By Myself

Erik Friedlander - Volac: The Book of Angels Volume 8

[T.D.]

In the cello category, Dave Holland's Life Cycles is pretty good.

I don't think I own any full solo bass albums. In the modern/avant sector, a lot of solo bass entails heavy use of extended techniques, which IMO comes off a lot better live.

[JSngry]

One cut:

 

One album:

 

[Rabshakeh]

4 minutes ago, JSngry said:

One album:

 

Is this the one with that weird Women's Song?

[JSngry]

Yes, but weird? A song about genocide!

[mikeweil]

On 6/7/2025 at 5:11 PM, jlhoots said:

Reginald Workman: The Works Of Workman

That's a really wonderful album!

[Teasing the Korean]

If it meets your criteria, I recommend Gunther Schuller's Quartet for Double Basses.  I have it on a Turnabout LP (TV-S 34412), where it comprises Side 2.

[mikeweil]

17 hours ago, Teasing the Korean said:

If it meets your criteria, I recommend Gunther Schuller's Quartet for Double Basses.  I have it on a Turnabout LP (TV-S 34412), where it comprises Side 2.

Now that makes me curious.

[mjazzg]

Pim, these two substacks might be of interest. One about Phillips, the other about Francois Rabbath and his solo bass playing

https://open.substack.com/pub/sunra/p/francois-rabbath?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=1tklsf

https://open.substack.com/pub/sunra/p/barre-phillips?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=1tklsf

 

 

[Rabshakeh]

21 hours ago, JSngry said:

Yes, but weird? A song about genocide!

Maybe I'm misremembering. I recall it being how feminism is taking over the world or something, and being really quite misogynistic. Perhaps I am getting confused.

[JSngry]

It starts out sounding like that that, but it ends up about the Black man is being wiped out altogether 

And he specifically uses the word genocide.

[Pim]

On 6/8/2025 at 2:47 PM, Rabshakeh said:

Some favourites:

Maarten van Regteren Altena - Handicaps

Mark Dresser - Unveil

Peter Kowald - Was Da Ist

Barry Guy - Irvin's Comet

Domenico Sciajno - Broken Bridge

Joelle Leandre - Contrebassiste (Taxi)

Hard to pull off a solo bass record in my view. I have listened to many. Lots are excellent but few are really top tier. Given how important the *sound* of the instrument is, a lot comes down to sound quality in my opinion. 

If you're willing to broaden to cello:

Abdul Wadud - By Myself

Erik Friedlander - Volac: The Book of Angels Volume 8

Thanks ! Been awhile since I’ve listened to the Kowald. I do know both the Wadud and Friedlander and like them a lot. Thanks for the tips

3 hours ago, mjazzg said:

Pim, these two substacks might be of interest. One about Phillips, the other about Francois Rabbath and his solo bass playing

https://open.substack.com/pub/sunra/p/francois-rabbath?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=1tklsf

https://open.substack.com/pub/sunra/p/barre-phillips?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=1tklsf

 

 

Thanks Mark. I’m not familiar with him (yet)

[Д.Д.]

I love solo bass records, and there is a lot of good stuff out there. My favorite one is Camouflage by Barre Phillips. Here are a few other I like: https://www.discogs.com/lists/Solo-double-bass-albums/1408762 . 

[Rabshakeh]

6 hours ago, JSngry said:

It starts out sounding like that that, but it ends up about the Black man is being wiped out altogether 

And he specifically uses the word genocide.

But to describe the effects of "Women taking over"?

Lyrics aren't entirely audible on the version that I could stream. 

[JSngry]

Taken as a whole, it's posited as being part of a focused effort to denature Black men. Castration was but the most overt/physical historical manifestation.

Not an uncommon (nor unfounded) thread of thought.

It should not be construed as misogynistic in the common sense. That's a real enough thing but a different strain of motivation of thought with what we're dealing with here.

The more one learns about the true realities of American slavery, the more truly horrific it becomes.

That's not to say that misogyny is not real, just that this particular expression is not necessarily coming from that place. 

[clifford_thornton]

yes, that makes total sense.

I did see Malachi perform solo at the Vision Festival once, as well as in a few groupings including an all star Velvet Lounge jam session in the early 00s. Most of the participants are now gone.

for what it is worth I have had "The Natural & The Spiritual" a few times and every copy was plagued with some level of surface crackle, even one that had been sealed.