Relix – October 2002

Relix – October 2002
October/November
Vol. 29. Number 5
Review by Art Howard

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, ambient and funk.

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