A feast for double bass aficionados! Bassist Oppelt and most of his collaborating friends on the CD play in the National Symphony orchestra in Washington D.C. He has selected a varied program which provides one of Debussy’s finest chamber works featuring the harp, tuneful pieces from Rossini and bass virtuoso/composer Dragonetti, a more atonal work from Gunther Schuller which nevertheless offers plenty of stimulation for your subwoofer(s) with the grumblings of four double basses, and a delightful work for a similar complement to the Debussy Dances. The latter is from a Charlie Barnett, who is not the big band figure but a specialist in music for film and TV. His Serenade does partake of jazzy improvisation sections and a sort of jam session, and also includes a bass and violin duet in the style of a square dance. 25% of net sales of the CD does to benefit ALS research as part of an ALS awareness project.
– John Sunier
