Despite being a huge instrument, the double bass can easily be overlooked.
In a typical jazz quartet, the pianist is often the composer and star. The drummer takes a wild solo. The trumpet grabs you by the ears with its piercing volume.
The double bass, meanwhile, stands there in the background anchoring the entire sound but getting none of the credit. When it takes a solo, the low-frequency sound can get lost in a loud jazz club, leading casual listeners to mistakenly think the song has ended.
Milo Fitzpatrick, who releases his music under the name Vega Trails, is a founding member and bassist for The Portico Quartet. I featured them in week 169, and mentioned the bass exactly once. I spent most of my word count talking about a different instrument.
So this week I’m making up for past oversights and shining a spotlight on the double bass.
What makes this a beautiful song:
1. Although all other tracks on the album feature Jordan Smart on the saxophone (Milo Fitzpatrick isn’t a spotlight-hog) this track, the opener, is a bass solo. How Fitzpatrick resisted calling it “Love Your Bass” I will never know.
2. Well okay, it’s not quite a bass solo, as some light synths and the occasional piano plink provide background ambience, played by Fitzpatrick as well.
3. He uses the whole range of the instrument, providing a bass line and a melodic line simultaneously. I don’t know if that’s impressive to professional double-bass players, but it’s hugely impressive to me.
Recommended listening activity:
Appreciating that friend who spends most of their time supporting others.