Joseph Warner - Rite

 Joseph Warner - Rite

Rite is the latest solo release by bassist-composer Joseph Warner. The piece continues Warner's obsession with exploring and normalizing contemporary sounds on the contrabass. Rite takes the form of a five minute long haunted waltz, which becomes more and more apparent as the large-scale ABA form unfolds.

The opening strikes the listener with unexpected multiphonics and a gritty sound, before presenting fragments of a later melody in an uneven meter. The middle pizzicato passage is the most convincing section of the work, which provides context to the opening material and clarifies the waltz-style groove. Warner's jazz harmonies in the middle waltz are engaging while approachable and naturally resonant on the instrument. It shows his strong ability in traditional playing and musical groove, before returning recontextualizing the material within the sound world of the opening arco section.

Rite is the first single from Warner's upcoming solo double bass album, which will be released later in January.

Listen to Rite on Spotify or YouTube!

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© 2023 Brutal New Music Reviews
originally written and published 8 January 2023

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