Bass at the Front: Fernando Molinari’s “Minerva” Raises the Bar with Nieri, Minnemann & Medeiros

Fernando Molinari is back with “Minerva,” featuring Andre Nieri, and this one leans deep into progressive fusion territory.  Molinari is on a fretless 5 string F Bass, and the intonation is on another level. Every note is dialed in, even when he is moving fast or stretching across wide intervals.  It is some of the best fretless playing ive heard in a while.  There are moments where the bass stands alone, and they hit. Then the riffs come back in and Molinari goes hard, locking in tight with the band .

The mix does a lot of work here too. Everything sits right where it should, giving both players space without losing the weight of the low end.  Stellar musicians, strong ideas, and execution to match.