Relix
October 2002
October/November
Vol. 29. Number 5
Review by Art Howard
Relix.com
Prior to the era of grunge it was popular for musicians to possess musicianship.
The jamband scene has come to the rescue for those of us who still prefer
players who know how to play, and one of the better bass players in the
jamband world is former BlueGround UnderGrass bassist Joseph Patrick Moore.
His new solo LP, ALONE TOGETHER, consists of only one instrument, the
bass (electric and stand-up), multi-tracked and played in a variety of
octaves to create a bass symphony. On the stylistic side, what sets Moore
apart from most bass virtuosos is that he actually plays bass parts on
the bass rather than guitar parts. Further distancing him from the instrumentalist
flock is that ALONE TOGETHER demonstrates he is facile and versatile without
turning into a circus sideshow.
The tunes are low-key and understated,
and he touches on an interesting variety of styles, mainly jazz, ambiient
and funk.
|