Bass Desires [Original recording reissued]

Marc Johnson | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 12, 2000)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording reissued
• Label: Ecm Records
• ASIN: B0000261H4
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #355,783 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Get this CD immediately, May 22, 1999

By 

Tom Polson (Cincinnati, OH) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bass Desires (Audio CD)

I cannot believe that no one has reviewed this seminal work until now. Everytime I listen I am mesmerized by the compositions and how they source the finest inventions of John Scofield and Bill Frisell. The improvisational ideas here are continually absorbing and evoke multiple, deep and personal moods and desires. These feelings are suspended by the perfect synergy of Scofield's incredible structurings and Frisell's astonishing guitar synthesizer. I often concentrate on Marc Johnson's or Peter Erskine's lines just to enjoy new surprises. The last time I felt this way about a group was John McLaughlin's Mahavishnu Orchestra. Bass Desires is musical sorcery.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A good recording that wears well, April 5, 2001

By 

George Grella "Urbane citizen" (Brooklyn) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bass Desires (Audio CD)

I've been listening to this record since the initial release, and find it consistently satisfying. The mock-power rock line-up is more than just a gimmick, it's a refreshing sound for jazz, and though little of this music actually swings - the beats are very straight, some rock, some reggae, etc. - it is most definitely jazz in conception.

The run of the first three tunes is quite astonishing and shows tremendous promise which the rest of the album doesn't deliver on, although it's still very solid. There is a sense of self-consciousness about the compositions and arranging, and Johnson conveys a seriousness throughout that could have been leavened with a touch of humor or joyous enthusiasm - this is especially true in the folk arrangement, but the imaginative choice of material and the original sound are a definite plus. A solid record.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Bit Worn Production-Wise But Still a Classic, August 9, 2005

By 

David T. Foster - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bass Desires (Audio CD)

Before the days of Amazon I bought this CD on one of my infrequent trips to a "hip" record store back in 1987. I subsequently listened to it probably at least 200 times and still return to it occasionally with great joy.

This is one of the all-time great examples of improvisatory music involving two guitars. The interplay here is just amazing. When Scofield solos on "Resolution," it just seems like Bill Frisell, Marc Johnson, and Peter Erskine are GLUED to him. Every twist and turn of his solo brings forth complimentary jabs, thrusts, and DRIVE from the rhythm section. It is truly awesome.

The first two songs are the easy standouts; "Mojo Highway" is almost as good. It's worth the purchase price (especially a used price) for those three tracks alone. The rest is not quite as engrossing but is still very good. Almost 20 years later I still think this is some of the best guitar jazz ever put down.

Yes, it's quite clear it was recorded in the late 1980s, when even JAZZ was affected by the production trend toward copious amounts of reverb. Get past that -- and this CD will reward repeated listening.