Articles

Barre Phillips: End To End

by Mark Sullivan
September 30, 2018

Legendary double bassist and improviser Barre Phillips writes what is billed as the final chapter in his storied history of solo bass recordings on the aptly titled End To End. He recorded what is generally regarded as the first solo double bass album in 1968 with Journal Violone (Opus One)--an unplanned event, as he intended the music to be source material for composer Max Schubel. He followed that with the first improvised double bass duet album with Dave Holland, Music ...

Barre Phillips / Motoharu Yoshizawa: Oh My, Those Boys!

by John Sharpe
May 29, 2018

Expatriate American bassist Barre Phillips is the banner name on another in the Chap Chap series of improvised encounters from Japan issued by the NoBusiness imprint. He boasts an illustrious back-story. His Journal Violone (Opus One,1968) is reputed to be the first solo bass album, while Music From Two Basses (ECM, 1971) with Dave Holland was probably the first record of improvised double bass duets. So it's no surprise that the veteran bassist demonstrates such mastery of the form on ...

Barre Phillips: Live in Vienna

by Andrey Henkin
November 10, 2007

Barre Phillips Live in Vienna Quantum Leap 2006

In a brief interview segment included in the extra features of Live in Vienna, bassist Barre Phillips discusses the foundation of improvising. He speaks of music-making in terms of vocabulary, a musical language, which a player uses in lieu of structure to make recognizable statements. The solo performance that makes up the bulk of this DVD--recorded in Vienna on February 19, 2005 --thus functions ...

Barre Phillips/Joelle Leandre/William Parker/Tetsu Saitoh: After You Gone

by Rex Butters
February 14, 2005

Reverberations from bassist Peter Kowald's passing continue to be felt two years later. Last year, a long-time bass quartet with one sub gathered to bathe Kowald's spirit in a bass balm. Comprised of close associates or admirers of Kowald, this quartet represents a summit from across borders and generations, sharing only remarkable technique and a love of the unknown.

Barre Phillips helped legitimize improvised solo bass, as well as expanding its vocabulary with extended techniques. Joëlle Léandre boasts a resume ...

Barre Phillips

by Andrey Henkin
May 12, 2004

Last year AllAboutJazz-New York had the chance to sit down with groundbreaking bassist Barre Phillips and discuss his myriad accomplishments in improvised music. This year, Vision Festival attendees will have the rare opportunity to see him in action. All About Jazz: You grew up in San Francisco and had a background in classical music. Why switch to jazz and move to New York as you did in the early '60s? Barre Phillips: I was ...

Barre Phillips/Bertram Turetzky/Vinny Golia: Trignition

by Mark Corroto
April 1, 2000

Pure improvised music is sometimes hard to listen to and even harder to write about. But given notice, the experience of challenging music can be gratifying. Multi-instrumentalist Vinny Golia has produced several recordings with contrabassist Bertram Turetzky, the duo Intersections (1986), and 11 Reasons To Believe (1996), plus trio recordings Pratakis with Leo Smith (1997), Triangulation with George Lewis (1996), and Glossarium with Ed Harkins (1998). The pair collaborates with Barre Phillips, a 1960s innovator of the contrabass and electronics. ...