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Alberto Rigoni For The Love Of Bass Review by Gary Hill This is quite a cool release. I should mention that I play bass (well, not as often as I should these days, so maybe I should say "played"). That's important because this music is all performed on bass. Each instrumental piece here includes a guest or two joining Alberto Rigoni. I remember being told in high school that having more than one bass guitar in a song doesn't work. Well, whoever thinks that's true should hear this. They make it work incredibly well as they work through pieces that range from progressive rock to fusion and more. If you are a fan of bass guitar, you need to check this out. This review is available in book (paperback and hardcover) form in Music Street Journal: 2021 Volume 4. More information and purchase links can be found at: garyhillauthor.com/Music-Street-Journal-2021.

Track by Track Review

Drops of Memories (Feat. Tony Franklin) The bass paints a slow tapestry with speedy bursts of passion as this gets underway. There is so much amazing bass exploration as the number continues.

In the Loop (Feat. David Pastorius) There is some passionate interplay on this cut. The number has a prog meets fusion vibe to it. It also has a lot of drama. This number evolves and changes with some differing movements. There are some spacey things that come over the top later, too. It should be mentioned that David Pastorius is the nephew of Jaco Pastorius. It's good to see that the family tradition of amazing bass work is alive and well.

Dreamers (Feat. Michael Manring) A bit mellower, this is a dramatic piece of music. I can make out hints of world music early, but also exploratory prog and fusion. This has some fast paced classically inspired stuff along the road, too. That said, the tune comes across as very much a fusion thing.

Alone in the Dark (Feat. Doug Wimbish) This has a synthesizer concept, but it could be midi-triggered via bass guitar. The cut brings more of a pure prog vibe and some real variety. Of course, it also includes some exceptional bass work.

Paranoia (Feat. Cody Wright) I love the distortion on this piece. The cut has some neo-classical elements at its heart. The fuzzy sound reminds me of when I used to run my bass through a DOD overdrive pre-amp. That sound goes away for a time, but eventually comes back, and the tune turns more toward hard rocking zones as it continues.

The Maze (Feat. Mohini Dey) This has a bit of a trippy, mysterious vibe to it in some ways in the beginning. It gets pretty up-tempo and driving as the intensity and tempo rise upward, but it also makes its way toward classical music at times. When it turns funky later there are some more sounds that feel like synthesizer.

Masked Souls (Feat. Nathan East & Michael Manring) This an intriguing tapestry of sound. It evolves with some fusion-like instrumental work. It covers quite a bit of a territory, and there is a real searching and reaching kind of feel to the number. The later sections turn more toward a rocking kind of fusion. There are some particularly cool passages of interplay here.

Social Distortion (Feat. Adam Nitti) I love the smoking hot bass work on this up-tempo rocker. There is some distortion on this, but not the level we heard on "Paranoia" until late. This thing is screaming hot.

Mad World Bass Cover (Feat. Leland Sklar) A bit less intense, but no less potent, this is cool stuff.

Killers (Feat. Lars Lehmann) There is some banter and laughter on this cut. The number has some funk and hard rocking texture. It's fast-paced and incredibly intense.. It's a real powerhouse.

Misirlou Bass Cover (Feat. Lars Lehmann) Wow! The bass on this is on fire. This was a Dick Dale number originally, and it has that vibe. There are hints of Spanish music. There is a bit of banter at the end.

Lost (Feat. Adam Nitti) There is a real sense of wonderment and mystery as this moves outward. It has some fusion vibes to it. The cut evolves into melodic fusion that's definitely classy.

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