Paul Chambers
Bass on Top

Paul Chambers never had a stable solo career. I don't know why, but having listened to two of his albums (this "Bass On Top" and "Quintet"), I can say that it's a real shame. Maybe good old Paul didn't have the prominent leadership qualities that many of the musicians he played with had. Perhaps he wasn't a catalyst, who knows. Surely, in whatever ensemble he was a part of, whatever type of jazz he played, the foundation was always him. The starting point, the foundation upon which to build great music. If there is Paul Chambers on a record, there is at least something to salvage, even if it's little.

In his solo albums, alongside the rhythmic and accompaniment aspect mentioned above, he adds large spaces for solo improvisation. Of course, Chambers always did this throughout his career, but never as systematically as in the records in his name. In "Bass On Top" (considered by many to be his best), Paul is the main soloist and demonstrates, if it wasn't already clear, that he has a great lyrical vein, a vein where the genius of his inventiveness flows, as fast as a stream. I'm not talking about his work as a composer (which was valuable but inconsistent), but about his work as an instrumentalist.

From the first, melancholic track "Yesterdays" (with the guitar accompanying the melody coming from an inspired double bass with the bow) to the concluding "Confessin'", with its solo moments of piano and double bass adorned with simple yet brief drum passages, in "Bass On Top" Chambers immediately hits the mark, catching that something on the fly, the flash of genius, the fleeting moment as someone might say. He catches it and never lets it go. He is helped by the chosen tracks themselves, already beautiful in their own right. For example, "You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To", where the lyrical aspect mixes with a classic swing providing Paul with the opportunity for two simply memorable solos (so great that they overshadow the excellent solo moments of the guitar and piano), or "Dear Old Stockholm" (with which Mr. P.C. had already ventured in the masterpiece "'Round About Midnight" by Miles Davis). He is also helped by the sidemen, musicians (among whom, uniquely in Chambers' solo discography, no wind players appear) among the most important in the world of jazz: Kenny Burrell, Hank Jones, and Art Taylor.

How can you not love Burrell's touch? How can you not love his melodic ideas, his uniqueness? How can you not love his interpretations of "You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To" or Parker's "Chasin' The Bird", played with a relaxed bebop flair that is already beyond bebop, already something else? How can you not appreciate the simplicity of a drummer like Taylor, precise and essential? How can you not appreciate his rare solo spaces ("Chasin' The Bird" and the bonus track "Chamber Mates")? And finally, Hank Jones, a great pianist and a great gentleman. An elegant accompanist, not among the most innovative soloists, but always aware of what he plays and what he wants to convey. Paul Chambers knew how to choose his companions for adventure well! And speaking of companions for adventure, the album also offers a beautiful reinterpretation of "The Theme", for some years a staple of Miles Davis's performances.

But what strikes the most in this album, as you may have already guessed, is the lyrical aspect. Just as "Quintet" is to feeling, "Bass On Top" is to melody. Obviously, we're still talking about people for whom swing is in their blood, but melody is the princess of the album. This is especially evident in "Dear Old Stockholm", the best-executed track of the lot, for a combination of factors. Surely, the theme plays a decisive role, as it is so wonderful that it could be played on loop without ever boring. To this, we must add Paul's interpretation, his beautiful solo, with variations that suggest the melody, but almost always hide it, trapping it in a vise that rarely lets it escape. Burrell does the same, you see? It's not a coincidence! It's because it's such a crazy melody that you can't help but play it! What can you do, it's a track that devastates me every time I listen to it. And so is Paul Chambers, it couldn't be otherwise. You always feel a bit taken aback when you listen to him, always amazed, even after a thousand times. There is something in his way of playing, of conceiving music, that is his alone. "Bass On Top" might not be an absolute masterpiece (as are, to mention the first two names that come to mind, "Giant Steps" and "Kind Of Blue"), but it is surely as close to a masterpiece as one can imagine.