James Singleton Releases “Malabar”
Bassist and composer James Singleton has returned with a new solo album called Malabar, which features his sextet performing original music. The instrumentation includes Mike Dillon on vibes and percussion, Justine Peake on drums and electronics, Rex Gregory on reeds, Brad Walker on saxophone, and Jonathan Freilich on guitar.
“The music on Malabar will likely call to mind Dave Holland’s Conference of the Birds, Charles Mingus’ Black Saint and the Sinner Lady, or Charlie Haden’s Liberation Music Orchestra. But Malabar is no throwback to 1963 or 1973,” the liner notes state. “Singleton’s vision is firmly cast, forward and up. And the work here has as much to do with the aforementioned Chicago experimentalists and some of their cohorts like Luke Stewart, Ken Vandermark, and Rob Mazurek. Malabar is another chapter, a new chapter in James Singleton’s evolving songbook, and one that will be remembered as such for years to come.”
Singleton’s songbook includes his evolving bass work, which he augments with effects. In conjunction with the orchestration, it creates a depth and weight in the music to elicit an emotional reaction.
Just get a taste of the title track (with some gnarly distortion at the :27 mark):
Malabar is available now on vinyl and as a digital download (Bandcamp, iTunes, and Amazon MP3).
Malabar Track List:
- Black Sheep Squared
- Malabar
- Where Where Is
- Nails of Martin
- So Long Tall Rex
- Monster Clause
- Bluebelly
- Lento
