Max Gerl Announces Self-Titled Album with Stanley Clarke as Producer

Bassist Max Gerl has announced that his next album will be a self-titled, 11-song collection set for release on July 28th. The record, which marks his second solo effort, will explore the entirety of the bass.

“My aims were to perform musically, to compose FOR the bass, and to demonstrate the breadth of sonic diversity available to this instrument,” he says.

With that in mind, it makes sense that he brought in the legendary Stanley Clarke as its producer. The bass pioneer was very hands-on for the project by contributing to the compositions, helping with mic placement during recording, and making sonic choices.

“Max is one of my favorites of all the young bass players today,” Clarke says. “The most important thing to me was that I wanted to be assured that whatever Max played could be heard clearly on all listening formats. I think people will be surprised at how well Max’s performances come across sonically.”

Gerl’s new album is all solo bass music on the double bass. It ranges from standard song forms to free improvisations with jazz and folk styles. One song, “For Rinat,” is played with the bow and serves tribute to the late London Symphony Orchestra principal bassist Rinat Ibragimov.

“My central tenets for the overarching concept of this album were in place early on, the process for writing and organizing this music equally rewarding and testing. I knew that I wanted a few “head solo head” forms; I wanted to compose a piece played in a classical style with the bow; and I wanted to include a heavy dose of freely melodic bass improvisation,” Gerl says.

Max Gerl’s self-titled album will be out on July 28th on JMI Recordings.