Virtuoso bassists Christian McBride and Edgar Meyer offer a series of playful and artfully delivered duets on 2024s But Whos Gonna Play the Melody? While both McBride and Meyer are acclaimed in their own right and largely considered two of the best, if not the best bassists of their generation, they come to improvisational music from slightly different perspectives. A jazz star from a young age, McBride is steeped in the acoustic post-bop, R&B, and funk traditions with a strong classical technique underpinning his work. Conversely, Meyer, who teaches at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, is largely known for playing classical and progressive bluegrass music with a strong harmonic and improvisational jazz sensibility informing his work. They do, however, share a common connection: both were mentored by legendary jazz bassist Ray Brown. It was Brown who first introduced the two prior to his passing in 2002, just a few years before they first shared a concert stage at a 2007 performance in Colorado as part of the non-profit Jazz Aspen Snowmass. Recorded at Ingram Hall at Vanderbilt Universitys Blair School of Music, But Whos Gonna Play the Melody? finds them building upon that initial performance, tackling a mix of originals and covers. Theres a warm camaraderie, balanced with just a hint of wry competition at play in these duets. Theres also a deep appreciation of the blues throughout the album, as on the opening Meyer original "Green Slime," where McBride lays down a chunky, funk-like groove over which Meyer dances with zippy bowed asides before they switch roles. From there, they dive into the twangy "Barnyard Disturbance," a bluegrass-inflected number in which they trade soulful, vocal-sounding lines. Elsewhere, they offer engaging readings of standards, including the Miles Davis-associated modal jazz classic "Solar" and the ballad "Days of Wine and Roses." Interestingly, they also take turns playing piano on several tunes, as on "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered" where Meyer offers a spare accompaniment to McBrides lyrical melody. Similarly, McBride takes to the keys for his chamber ballad "Lullaby for a Ladybug," spotlighting Meyers languorous bowed technique. Certainly, the choice to accompany each other on piano works to highlight their distinctive bass styles. Thankfully, although they both play with big, woody tones, its never too hard to tell them apart. Despite the wry humor implied by the album title, McBride and Meyer infuse every note of But Whos Gonna Play the Melody? with their own distinctive style, as if they were singing through their strings. ~ Matt Collar

Rovi