IN THE SPIRIT OF CHARLES MINGUS, MASTER BASSIST TARUS MATEEN RELEASES HIS IMPROMPTU SETS OF BLACK SOLO PIANO/BASS “SONETS”
AN INTIMATE LOOK INTO THE ARTISTRY OF ONE OF THE WORLDS GREATEST BASS PLAYERS AND A DIRECT LINK TO HIS JOURNEY WITH THE PIANO
CREATED OVER A FOUR YEAR PERIOD OF RECORDING HIMSELF AT THE PIANO WHILE ON THE ROAD WITH JASON MORAN’S BANDWAGON
"Black Solo Sonets" gives us an intimate look into the artistry of master bassist Tarus Mateen. An artistic statement based solely on improvisations captured on different pianos over a period of four years on the road. The recording, purposely named “sonets,” boasts eclectic elements of classical, free jazz and melodic clustering – all with destination and arrival at every moment – and brilliantly speaks to Mateen’s steadfast search for the inherent beauty that his love for the piano demands. Over the four year period, at any given moment time allowed, Mateen would sit at the piano, sometimes while sound checking, loading in, loading out and usually while Jason Moran was peeking over his shoulder with encouragement, making sure not to miss the spiritually steaming moments. (HEAR MORAN TALK ABOUT THIS WITH MATEEN TODAY, HERE.)
Mateen’s love affair with the piano began at the age of five, when his maternal grandfather would mesmerize him with stride & boogie woogie, at the house piano where he was raised in Bakersfield, California. The family lived on historic, 711 ‘V’ Street - a music mecca in the 1970’s and 1980’s. The bassists piano playing, in the spirit of everything from Monk to Ravel, is a part of the lifelong Sufi Muslim’s “visits” by the great piano masters of our ancestors.
Mateen’s brotherhood with pianists is nothing new, his 20+ years as a member of Jason Moran’s Bandwagon, has allowed him to soak in intimate moments of listening and watching Moran play, shed, transcribe, write, doodle; and of course solo. Earlier on, the great Johnny O’Neal played a very important role in his early days, learning touch and sound on the instrument. It wasn’t until the early 90’s, when Tarus recorded with pianist Rodney Kendrick for Verve Records, that his true search began for how he could implement and express all that he was feeling on the piano, with direction and intention. Kendrick, in his usual “outspoken critic” manner, did not allow for “any corny stuff” to be played around him, setting the bar high for Mateen to give some real thought to this new process. While living with pianist and longtime collaborator, Marc Cary, in Sugar Hill, Harlem, Cary said he, “learns a lot while checking Tarus’s exploring process on piano”.
On this new artistic statement, Mateen plays one of his tunes that has become a staple for Bandwagon fans to hear, “Another One“ (from Jason Moran’s 2nd recording on the Blue Note label, which debuted the now infamous trio with Mateen & drummer Nasheet Waits), was coined “an instant classic” by The New York Times.
It soon became clear to Mateen that capturing those moments would be a great performance art project. Inspired by Bandwagon’s long time artist mentor Adrian Piper’s on going work installation, “What Will Become of Me?” (1985), a work in progress that will be completed upon the artist’s death where since 1985, Piper has filled honey jars with her hair and fingernails whenever she cuts them. The last container to be added will hold her cremated remains. The jars are displayed on a shelf flanked by two where she is saving her clipped nails and hair in mason jars to be displayed in a museum. In this vain, you will also hear his use of sound designing with a scathing record being manipulated by filters as it grows into its own rhythmic and harmonic entity.
This solo performance art on piano and bass from Mateen gives you a true piece of himself while still in the midst of discovering the vast amounts of language, sound, harmony and rhythm to the art of piano playing and holding the audience’s attention while playing solo bass. With these 15 “sonets” rounding out around 45 minutes of transient meditative vibe inducing musical expressions, take your ticket and ride on his Bandwagon of improvised story telling.
credits
released September 14, 2020
Tarus Mateen- Piano
Tarus Mateen- Marcoustico Bass
Tarus Mateen- Sound design
Marlon Hightower- Photography
Radcliffe Bailey- Track Art Work
Uthman Cisse- Liner notes
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