Alone Together

Album Review

Bassists and bass fanatics should find much to salivate over on Joseph Patrick Moore's all-bass solo CD, Alone Together. Moore performs all the basses here, more often than not multi-tracking himself with various accompaniment on different basses; he is technically proficient on both acoustic double bass and the myriad electric kinds. Interestingly, Moore even creates rhythm tracks with the various clicks and taps he generates from the bass strings, as is evident on his cover of the Police's "Masoko Tanga." The music is resolutely jazz-based, but also features funk, rock, classical, world, modern atonal, and soul styles. Many of the songs lean toward the avant-garde and feature fuzzy soundscapes and impressionist textures, even when Moore attacks a standard such as the album's namesake. Despite the impressive technical and creative abilities Moore showcases here, there is an insular quality to the recording, almost as if he made the album as a personal experiment he could control completely with no outside input. This makes for a beautiful if somewhat preconceived and clinical listen. Nonetheless, a project this ambitious and unique is worth checking out.