David Bowden: ‘Unsung Songs’

‘Unsung Songs’ takes the creative contributions of double bassist David Bowden and distills them into a rather marvellous collection of solo double bass compositions.

Just a few months ago, I heard Bowden as part of pianist Fergus McCreadie’s internationally acclaimed, Mercury Prize-nominated trio. I was impressed then and hearing him exposed to the solo bass format makes it clear why he won Young Scottish Jazz Musician of the Year in 2017 and is now very much in demand in a variety of ensembles.

Opening with The Spiders Talk, one can almost picture two spiders having a chat over a leisurely stroll and, although the whole point of this album is the lack of lyrics, I’d quite like to eavesdrop. There is a clear sense of melody around all these compositions, with From the Morning and Snow telling their own stories of life as it is experienced and brought into the studio.

Solo bass albums are rare and Bowden has avoided the pitfalls with these songs without words, particularly on the beautiful Lullaby for Esme. Words and emotions pop into the listener’s head in listening to Unsung Songs.

Bowden sheds some light on his creative process: “I wanted to discover what I could express on the instrument while making music that’s approachable. My aim would be to make music that anyone can enjoy, with no prior knowledge needed. When I’ve written music for other ensembles, I’ve always put the other musicians at the forefront, as is natural for a bass player. Playing solo, there’s no hiding place, which pushes you to approach the instrument in a different way. It’s a rewarding challenge to combine melodic phrasing, chordal accompaniment and groove playing – all through the one instrument.”

David Bowden’s ‘Unsung Songs’ is available on Bandcamp from 10 April