I am not sure if with the double bass there are various types, like with the guitar, but none is mentioned on the cover or the fact if this is a mono recording. The latter probably not. It was recorded in the spacious surrounding of the old church in Oud-Charlois, which is a part of Rotterdam and home to a few great concerts, some of these involving the church organ housed there. Goncalo Almeida stuck to his bass. We know him for his one-off collaboration with Rutger Zuydervelt (see Vital Weekly 1000) and various releases with the Spinifex Quartet. The liner notes inform me of a whole world I probably knew existed, but someone I don’t know much about.
The world of free jazz, solo bass players and so on. It makes an interesting read, as it was done with Guy Peters, but after I was done with it, I didn’t return to it any more and decided to play the record again, no longer disturbed by historical information. I found the music quite refreshing. Almeida uses various techniques, the bow, plucking the strings, maybe a bit of the body of the instrument, but in all twelve of these pieces, the double bass remains a recognizable constant presence. It is within these pieces that he shows a great variety of approaches, from melodic, to abstract, from melancholically inclined to a menacing drone.
From a very big sound (and I don’t mean spacious in the sense that the church plays a role in that; just a massive sound by itself, not too difficult one could think with this low humming instrument) to very small and delicate. It is never aggressive or noisy, Almeida remains a respectful player, with a fine ear for the smaller things happening between the notes, yet not overplaying the whole of silence. Far from it, actually. Like the Serries record, one of delicate beauty; a different kind of delicacy, however. Vital Weekly – The Netherlands
1. Monólogos a Dois I 08:30
2. Monólogos a Dois II 02:21
3. Monólogos a Dois III 01:35
4. Monólogos a Dois IV 03:06
5. Monólogos a Dois V 03:08
6. Monólogos a Dois VI 03:24
7. Monólogos a Dois VII 05:20
8. Monólogos a Dois VIII 02:22
9. Monólogos a Dois IX 03:21
10. Monólogos a Dois X 03:16
11. Monólogos a Dois XI 05:41
12. Monólogos a Dois XII 01:59
Gonçalo Almeida - Double bass
Performed & recorded at the Old Church in Oud-Charlois, Rotterdam (The Netherlands) on 11th July 2020
All music by Gonçalo Almeida
Recorded & mixed by Gonçalo Almeida
Mastered at the Sunny Side Inc. Studio, Anderlecht (Belgium)
