I first heard this very unusual
duo back in 1995 on a Sunday evening at Zinno's, a good New York City
restaurant where you can listen to jazz in a friendly setting. I was
overwhelmed by the music I heard that night and I'm delighted that Rufus
and Michael, with the help of an excellent engineer, managed to record
their work for everyone to hear.
Traditionally
the upright bass has been an accompanying instrument in jazz. When I was
coming up in Chicago in the late 20's and early 30's, there was no
amplification, so bass players had to struggle just to be heard. If we
were lucky we might get one solo a night, but a bass solo was seen as more
of a novelty than a real musical contribution.
Over the past
fifty years the bass has come a long way in jazz. This album is a
testament to that evolution. On track after track, Rufus and Michael show
their versatility, playing all over their instruments, executing
complicated fingerings and difficult bowed passages. They keep time and
comp for each other the same way a pianist comps behind a brass or reed
soloist.
Rufus and
Michael have made an album which every bass player must hear. Both of
these men have distinguished themselves as sidemen and as instructors, and
after hearing this performance, I know their students will appreciate the
unusual skills of their teachers.
This album can
be understood and appreciated by non-bass players too. Begin by listening
to the standards like Tea For Two, Satin Doll and Stompin' At The Savoy.
There is a relaxed kind of interplay between the bassists. They sound like
they are very comfortable with each other. They cooperate rather than
compete and throughout the album it's clear that these two distinguished
bassist are willing to explore new frontiers for their instrument.
They
illustrate true knowledge of the bass. Their styles are very clear and
different with solid harmonic and melodic playing that invites repeated
listening.
Milt Hinton
In 1971, still
living in Chicago, I was a guest artist at the University of Wisconsin
Jazz Festival in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Michael Moore was featured with
trumpeter, Freddie Hubbard. Our friendship began. I was impressed with his
prowess around the bass. After moving to the New York area, our friendship
continued, but rarely seeing or hearing each other except on recordings.
Our styles are different by the way we physically approach the instrument,
and yet our musical savvy is very, uncannily similar. We compliment each
other very well. Bass players generally never have another bass player to
support them while they are soloing. It is a wonderful feeling for a
change.
Three years
ago I asked Michael to assist us at William Paterson as a bass teacher for
one semester in our Jazz Studies and Performance Program. We saw more of
each other and discussed our one day performing together. Michael obtained
four Sundays at the restaurant, Zinno's, in New York city. We went in well
rehearsed and the response was extremely positive. Word of mouth and
curiosity made it a very memorable for many people, including us. It is
very rare to have two basses play together as an advertised event. This
recording is the result of the love and energy that blossomed from those
Sundays. I hope that you will enjoy this endeavor, as Michael and I have
in producing it.
Rufus Reid -
Dedicated to the memory of Red Mitchell and Sam Jones.
Thanks to
Bobby Perazo, owner of Zinno's restaurant, for giving us a great space and
the opportunity to bring the basses down front. Thanks to Ned Mann, who is
also an excellent bassist and for his wonderful engineering skills. Many
thanks to J. D. Aebersold for accepting this project and including it in
the Double-Time Records catalog.
When thinking
about this project, I remembered talking to Rufus some ten years before
about doing something together. I asked the owner of Zinno's restaurant in
New York, a place where we had both performed many times, if he would be
interested in the two of us playing with just the basses on Sunday
evenings, and to my delight, he thought it was an interesting idea. The
subsequent four Sundays were crowded with quiet and attentive listeners.
We were both pleasantly surprised by the turnout and our mutual
excitement.
It became
clear to both of us that our styles were both contrasting and mutually
supportive. Evolving together in the same generation of music, we shared
similar backgrounds and musical experiences, however we also realized that
although we came from the same generation, we approached the same material
in our own way. Perhaps the same contrast could be likened to Don Byas and
Ben Webster's versions of the same song.
I'd like to
thank Rufus for his enthusiasm, his perseverance, and especially for his
marvelous playing. I'm also deeply grateful for Ned Mann's great work in
capturing both of our sounds.
Michael Moore
