Eberhard Weber: Résumé

Composer/bassist Eberhard Weber has been one of the heritage artists to define and exemplify the standards of Manfred Eicher's ECM Records. Résumé continues the tradition of both the label and Weber with an unusually structured collection of live performances culled from more extended pieces. This global collection of bass solos, culled from live Jan Garbarek Group performances between 1990 and 2007, has been edited and engineered into a natural and flawless flow; each track takes its title from the host city in which it was performed.

Twenty years ago, Weber released his ambitious Pendulum (ECM, 1993), a solo project demonstrating that double bass—in Weber's case, his custom-built, five-string electric variant—and electronic effects could not only coexist but could create a subtle sonic palette that was both striking and beautiful. Résumé is not entirely a solo effort as it occasionally incorporates the contributions of Garbarek and percussionist Michael DiPasqua. One of the collection's highlights, in fact, is Garbarek's tenor solo on "Amsterdam."

It's a somewhat dubious process to analyze individual pieces on Résumé. To a large extent, Weber's contributions are either variations or improvisations on a theme that is hidden from view. More to the point, he creates a unique context from personalized interpretations and uses pizzicato, arco, keyboards and electronic techniques to vary the mood. The effect—as intended—is that Weber's solos take on a life of their own and become movements of a unique creation. The diversity among these solos can be heard in the flamenco influence of "Liezen," the minimalism of "Karlsruhe" or the Middle Eastern influence of "Grenoble."

In the course of a very robust career, Weber's versatility has spanned formats as dissimilar as full symphony orchestras and The United Jazz + Rock Ensemble. He has dabbled in free jazz, funk, and world music, and has maintained a high level of quality and creativity throughout. Weber's talents as a composer, innovator and inventor have recently been appreciated more in retrospect as he has been sidelined in recent years by serious health issues. Despite no longer being able to play bass, however, there is still every reason to hope for more to come, making Résumé even more important in its originality—and signaling of a new direction in Weber's esteemed career.