Published on
Independent Music – May 2002
Review by John Scalzi
Bassist Joseph Patrick Moore has put together a contemporary music album of all bass – not just bass as the highlighted instrument, but all bass all the time. However, he mixes up the bass sounds by using upright acoustic bass, picked and bowed, eletric bass, and electronically processed bass to create a whole spectrum of noise, in several genres of music, from ambient-like to jazzy. At its best (album opener WATERFALL) it creates a sonically-arresting space. At its least effective, it’s elevator music (note to JPM: Nice of you to cover Bobby McFerrin‘s DRIVE, but while you are a fine bassist, you’re really not a singer). Fortunately, there are  rather more good moments than bad ones.  Bassists in particular should enjoy this album as example of what their uderappreciated instrument can do, the rest of us can simply enjoy Moore’s ability to turn a single instrument into an entire band’s worth of sound
Published on
Bassically.net May 2002
Review by Cliff Engel
Bassically.net with Cliff Engel
Drawing from a deep pool of jazz, funk, classical, and soul influences, Joseph Patrick Moore has delievered his third outing as a solo act with Alone Together. Moore’s latest project is comprised of eleven original compositions and four skillfully arranged covers from artists such as Bobby McFerrin and The Police.  As an electric/acoustic doubler, Moore has successfully combined the best of both bass worlds while utilizing only the sounds of electric fretted, fretless, and acoustic upright basses.  This effort finds Moore in solo, duo, and trio settings with perfectly orchestrated, multi-layered bass loops using both electric and acoustic basses can work together within the structure of a single piece of music in a completely coherent fashion. I can’t recall ever hearing this form of instrumentation being documented so well and convincingly. From tapping, slapping, harmonic, and chordal techniques on his electric basses to bowed, pizzicato, and walking chops on his upright bass, Moore proves he is more than totally proficient in each area. However, don’t let all of his dazzling technical displays distract you from the music and emotional content he is able to create as a result of his chops.

Bottom Line: With his previous two solo projects, Joseph Patrick Moore set the standard and firmly established himself as one of today’s up-and-coming premier bass artists. Now, with his dominating command of both acoustic and electric instruments on Alone Together, Moore has raised the bar yet again and demonstrated that he is one of the brightest electric/acoustic doublers on the scene today.

Published on
Homegrown Music May 2002
Dancing Tree Newsletter May 21, 2002
Review by Bryan Rodgers
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Joseph Patrick Moore – Alone Together CD - Outstanding solo work from this master of the low end!  This is truly a solo bass CD, with Moore using only bass to create his visions. Loops, solos, and complex compositions dot this enhanced CD, which features a video of Moore performing DRIVE, and much more. Moore is best know for hist stints with BlueGround UnderGrass and Fiji Mariners.

Your jaw will be on the floor….this guy simply tears it up!

Published on
“Intelligent, knowledgeable, and multi-talented, Joseph Patrick Moore is an accomplished bass solo artist, studio musician and band member. These are but a few of the apparent qualities to describe one of the up and coming talents taking the bass into the 21st century” – Jason Bundy
Published on
An Honest Tune, June/2001
Review by Bryan Irby
Honest Tune Magazine
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New BlueGround UnderGrass bassist Joseph Moore (ex-Col. Bruce Hampton and the FijiMariners/Planet Zambee) has just released a second solo album on his own independent label MMP.  SOULCLOUD continues in the same contemporary jazz vein as his 1996 release NEVER NEVER LAND. While much of this material is a bit too smooth for my jazz tastes there are some definite funky highlights like ASHES TO ASHES, MUMPHIS COSANOSTRA, and DATZ IT, all 3 which feature Yonrico Scott (Derek Trucks Band) on drums and Jimmy Herring on guitar. The simpler, bass-centric tunes on the album are also among the best tracks. Pause #3 is a bass, sitar & drum free-jazz piece dedicated to Miles Davis Drummer Tony Williams (Pause 1 and 2 on NEVER NEVER LAND were dedicated to Miles Davis and Jaco Pastorius). BIG BUTT BASS is exactly that: in-yer-face solo slap bass, and there’s a nice bass & saxophone take on Led Zepplin‘s GOING TO CALIFORNIA. These tunes and the hidden track ANOTHER DAY ANOTHER TIME ( a beautiful rainy-day-in-Memphis piece) outshine the title track and a cover of DUST IN THE WIND which I find unlistenable.

Catch Joseph Patrick Moore on tour with BlueGround UnderGrass or his own group.
Published on
Commercial Appeal, January 21, 2001
Memphis, TN
Review by Bill Ellis
The Commercial Appeal Memphis Tennessee
Based in Atlanta, former Memphis Groovetet bass player Joseph Patrick Moore funks up his considerable jazz chops on SOULCLOUD which lies in the Yellowjackets/Weather Report vein through with a more rocking jam band attack at times (the highlight MUMPHIS COSONOSTRA). Moore even arranges Led Zeppelin‘s GOIN’ TO CALIFORNIA – a gentle bass sax duet – and Kansas’s Dust in the Wind which, as the record’s one misstep, is a pretty awkward one. The smooth fusion compositions by Moore and keyboardist Frank Amato benefit from the leader’s melodic grooves and give room for numerous fretboard workouts a la inspiration Jaco Pastorius. The disc’s horn players equally shine. Not many folks can walk this familar yet demanding walk. Moore, a member of Col. Bruce Hampton & the Fiji Mainers in its final year- does and convincingly so.

Catch him in town February 3rd, 2001 at Legends with BlueGround UnderGrass on Beale. Street.

Published on
Performer Magazine, December 2000
Southeast addition
Review by K. Harris
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Now, Joseph Patrick Moore’s Soul Cloud is a smooth and relaxing album with just a touch of funk. While listening to this album, the following is the picture that it created. If you will, please envision that you and your girl (or significant other) are sitting in a cozy, dimly lit (like a Love Jones atmosphere) couples restaurant as you two occupy a corner. Across the room on a small, low stage, there is a band playing as you two talk and laugh. Soul Cloud does not actually create a candle lit evening, but it does create a comfortable, friendly, social vibe that might make a room give quiet applause with a catcall and possibly a whistle after the band’s set. You pay attention to the music, rather than just getting lost into their dates. This is mainly an instrumental jazz collective that displays everything from string instruments to horns, with a few extras in between. Moore and company get down with songs like DATZ IT, ASHES TO ASHES, MUMPHUS COSANOSTRA, displaying nothing but musical talent.  Kudos to the sax player that made his instrument wail, wallow, and cry in COSMIC DANCE. It was so impressive that it had to be rewound to ensure I heard what I thought I heard. Also JPM shows skills that were second to none in GOING TO CALIFORNIA.

To sum the album up, Soul Cloud is well-written, exquisitely produced, and fabulously performed. If this project is any indication, Joseph Patrick Moore will be delighting music listeners for many years to come.

Published on
AllAboutJazz.com
by Todd S. Jenkins
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Versatile Atlanta-based bassist Moore’s new album is packed with fun grooves from the word go. His technique and ideas are steeped in the electric bass developments of the past thirty years, but with a fresh contemporary edge.

The band fries up a hot passel of funk on track #1. The horns are hot and deep into the boogie, Moore’s envelope-filtered bass adds a Bootsy Collins vibe, and Aquarium Rescue Unit guitarist Jimmy Herring tempers the sauce with a cupful of hot bluesiness. Tracks #2 and #5 give the expected nod to Jaco; track #3 begins with thumping worthy of Marcus Miller and evolves into pretty double-stops. These tracks especially flaunt Moore’s studio-quality chops.

Though most of their names are unfamiliar, Moore’s sidemen are complementary, empathetic and well chosen. Pianist Bill Anschell lays down a Ramsey Lewis-style groove on #7 and ‘Buzz’ Amato boots the organ around the floor before trumpeter Vance Thompson enters with soulful lyricism. Moore closes the disc with covers of classic songs by Led Zeppelin and Kansas. The former is driven smoothly along by Moore’s taut harmonics and fingerstyle melodicism, while the latter floats on an unexpectedly successful Latin jazz beat. Palmer Williams‘ vocals on the last tune are notably fluid and enjoyable. Joseph Patrick Moore is definitely a talent worth hearing, and this well-made disc will be of particular interest to electric bass aficionados.

Track listing: Datz It; Ashes To Ashes; Big Butt Bass; Soulcloud; Pause #3; Mumphis Cosanostra; Cosmic Dance; Going To California; Dust In The Wind.

Personnel: Moore, acoustic and electric basses, shaker; Jimmy Herring, guitar; Yonrico Scott, Phillip Smith, drums; Bill Anschell, Bob Marbach, piano; Frank “Buzz” Amato, keyboards; Vance Thompson, trumpet and flugelhorn; Stan Cherednik, alto and soprano saxes; Bryan Lopes, tenor sax; Palmer Williams Jr., vocals.

Style: Fusion/Progressive Rock
Published: December 01, 2000