Rich Brown: “Lua” Live (2012)
Back in 2009, Rich Brown shared a video with us of him playing his original composition, “Lua”. He told us the song was “written after spending many an evening gazing at the moon in it’s luminous splendor. A bit Metheny, a bit Gismonti, a bit Garrison.”
Here’s a newer video of Rich playing that tune live. The tones he gets from his bass are quite remarkable.
I could not make a connection with the melody in as much as I tried. It seemed to be a result of an experiment and sounded as if it stayed as such. I waited at least 2 + minutes for the melody to morph into a different color, mood or feel, and cannot say it actually happened that way for me, and then the introduction of the chords, kept everything constant ( the same ). The sound was somewhat dissonant in regards to the melody and that I don’t mind, but it just did not evolve into something tasteful or creative enough for me to have that wow moment. I was also awaiting those quite remarkable tones… and because of the effects used I also never heard the quite remarkable, instead I heard clean playing and clear, no sloppy technique, but I would have found it more enjoyable ( far more enjoyable ) without the altered color by the effects. It is also quite possible, because of the description of the piece, that I find my analysis pulling away instead of joining in agreement. Talented yes,but the musical piece failed me. I enjoyed the wait ( which was mine ) for sump’n more, but the overall is where I cannot give high marks.
It wasn’t exactly my cup of tea, but if seen as something like an indian raga it makes excellent sense, and while not exactly a typical bass piece in that sense, it does a pretty good job.
the “melody” seems more like an improvisation on a certain feel and set of interconnected modes. i think he does really well on this. his chordal stuff is really nice with some good impressionistic harmony and chords you don’t often hear most bass players using . . . and there’s a nice segue between the two sections.
hear more anouar brahem that i do metheny/gismonti, but that’s just me.
he’s got a really, really nice touch, good articulation, good vibrato and good phrasing. he makes good use of space in the front end of the piece. it evokes a sense of space and emotion, and i think that is pretty darned cool. not everything has to be what we consider to be “normal bass.”
i don’t agree with the introductory text about “remarkable tones” . . . it’s all pretty standard technique, with not unusual or different sounds to my ear. if one takes those words out, one’s expectations wouldn’t be led astray.
i actually heard no effects except some (not overdone) reverb and maybe a slight delay . . .
i think he’s the real deal.