Award-winning double bassist David Bowden releases
a solo bass album, Unsung Songs, on Friday 10th April.
© Nicky Murray
Best known as a crucial member of pianist Fergus
McCreadie’s internationally acclaimed, Mercury Prize-nominated trio,
Glasgow-based Bowden is a former Young Scottish Jazz Musician of the Year and
an in-demand bass player on the Scottish jazz and folk scenes.
Having successfully led the seven-piece world jazz ensemble Mezcla, Bowden found himself seeking a new creative challenge in the summer of 2023. He began developing repertoire for solo double bass - music that would place the instrument centre stage. Following a first solo gig at Glasgow Jazz Festival in 2024, the music on Unsung Songs was developed through a series of further solo performances at jazz festivals across Scotland and refined in studio sessions.
The album draws on a rich spectrum of influences
spanning jazz, folk and contemporary singer-songwriters. Alongside Bowden’s
original compositions, it features reimagined songs by Nick Drake, Emilíana
Torrini and mandolinist Chris Thile.
A key starting point for the project was a deep
dive into vocal music. By transcribing and playing along with singers, Bowden
absorbed the nuances of phrasing and articulation, aiming to translate the
expressive flexibility of the human voice onto the double bass. Combined with
inspiration from solo recordings by Jorge Roeder, Larry Grenadier and John
Patitucci - as well as the intimacy and texture of guitar music - this approach
shaped a melodic, chordal language that defines Unsung Songs.
“I wanted to discover what I could express on the
instrument while making music that’s approachable,” says Bowden. “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,” he adds. “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.”
Unsung Songs was recorded over four sessions
between 2024 and 2026 at Solas Sound in Glasgow with engineer Gus Stirrat, with
additional guidance from New York-based bassist Or Bareket.
“I didn’t have a traditional producer, but Gus has
been a close collaborator and a brilliant sounding board - as a bassist
himself, his feedback was invaluable,” Bowden says. “Or Bareket helped me
refine my technique to meet the demands of playing solo bass. I’m looking
forward to sending the album out into the world. I see it as a collection of
songs -not just solo bass pieces - where the bass becomes the voice. The music
captures exactly how I felt at the time of recording.”
David Bowden, Unsung Songs (David Bowden Music, catalogue number DBM001US)
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