SoLo by Evan Jagels

In 2019 or so, I was asked to put together music for a wedding. When I gave the bride to be a rate for a jazz trio, she said, “That’s really out of our budget. Do you think you could play solo?” I responded that I play the bass and the bass is more of a supportive instrument and I don’t do unaccompanied solo work. I made a recommendation for a fine pianist and the moment I hung up the phone I asked myself, “Why don’t I do unaccompanied solo work?”

From that point on, I started developing solo work. Beginning with a looping pedal and field recordings, I eventually came to believe that a solo piece should stand on its own on the bass. Only two of the eleven tracks on this album – “Grunge” and “Jardin ii” – have overdubs.

Each of my compositions has a story behind it, and I share these with the audience in my SoLo concerts. This work is how I have come to process both intimate and tragic experiences as well as exploring more innocent scenes and themes in my mind.

The challenge with presenting this work as a recording was how to convey these stories – especially when so many people listen online. How do I offer something physical and personal to stand out in an ocean of streams and digital distraction?

Since I credit so much of my music education to my father’s vast record collection and reading great liner notes as a young child, I have always appreciated the visual art and text that would accompany recordings. There is something special about these connections that offer a different yet equally valuable experience to a live concert. It then occurred to me to create a small book with stories and visual art. Please contact me to obtain a copy of the book.

Evan Jagels is an adventurous and versatile bassist, composer, and improvisor. He is a member of Killdeer Trio, Duo Extempore, and Dazzling Killmen and also performs and records extensively as a freelance musician.

Jagels has traveled to 42 US states on a motorcycle.