Leon Bosch Releases “The South African Double Bass”
Late last year, double bass virtuoso Leon Bosch put forth an album of all new music to help expand the instrument’s solo repertoire. Now he’s done it again with a new release called The South African Double Bass that features eight brand new pieces and one transcription. Each of the compositions were written at Bosch’s request by the country’s foremost composers and musicians. The project is a special one for the bassist, who was born in Cape Town, South Africa.
“For over thirty years, I’ve been traveling around the world playing recitals, but I realized I’ve never played anything by a South African composer,” he says. “The reason I haven’t done that is because there was no music written for the double bass by a South African composer. So I decided I needed to do something about it.”
The songs are described as revealing a range of inspirations “from Zulu roots, South African jazz, the African landscape… and African beer.” Bosch is once again joined by pianist Rebecca Omordia, who was featured on 21st Century Double Bass. Hear the duo and some composers talk about the project:
The South African Double Bass is available now through I Musicanti Publishing.
The South African Double Bass Track List:
- Canticles for Peace
- Isipho
- Nocturne “Old Nectar”
- From the Heart
- Bepeinsing
- Sonatina
- Scratch + pad – and – six
- Some Thoughts on African Beer
- Preludio E Umdanso
