Of course this album is (or should be) highly interesting for double bass players, but I hope people outside the “deep low end based-music world” find it enjoyable as well. On August 29, 1979 (Charlie Parker’s would-be 59th birthday), a double bass sextet named the World Bass Violin Ensemble was assembled to perform for a press conference. Two months later, on October 14, the WBVE held its world premiere concert at the October Festival in Soundscape NY, produced by promoter Kunle Mwanga. “Bassically Yours” is their only album, released in 1984.

The World Bass Violin Ensemble were Phil Bowler, Bob Cunningham, Fred Hopkins, Greg Maker, Brian Smith (musical director) and Rufus Reid. Not very viable from a commercial standpoint, but both remarkable and interesting nonetheless.

All compositions and arrangements by Brian Smith except “Moody’s Mood For Love”, composed by Eddie Jefferson and James Moody.

(00:00) Video intro

SIDE A:

(00:14) 01. Dr. Norma (for Norma Nager)
(11:23) 02. Oppeizm (dedicated to Oscar Pettiford)
(18:53) 03. Mwanga Rag (for Kunle Mwanga)

SIDE B:

(21:57) 04. Moody’s Mood For Love
(25:06) 05. A Lease And A Link (for Elizabeth Link)
(35:57) 06. And We Thought We Were So Different (for Ernest and Eleanor Smith)

Numark TTXUSB turntable – Nagaoka MP-500 phono cartridge – ART DJPRE II phono stage preamp – Vinyl record vinilo LP