Evan Veenstra
A monster player and his BASS album
When he’s not creating beautiful music, Evan works with his family as a home builder in Ontario. He is left handed, but plays right, which partly explains why his tapping and chord progressions are so clear and fluid (the other part must be practicing 24/7!). What you hear on this record is stunning. It’s virtuoso level playing. He uses a mix of four and five strings on traditional, as well as piccolo basses. His tapping, harmonics, chord melody progressions and spacing are exceptional. If you watch his videos on YouTube, you’ll need a napkin to wipe your mouth afterwards because your jaw will drop and you’ll probably drool. If you love Bela Fleck, Jaco, Acoustic Alchemy and Al Di Meola - this is a musician for you. This is a brilliant project that deserves a great deal of attention. Here’s our track by track review:
Shannon’s Song - A beautifully melodic piece he wrote for his wife. This waltz shows his ability to create beautiful melody, harmony and show the dexterity of his playing - especially in the solo - he knows when to slow it down.
Dog Days - Wow, great slap, counter melodies and chords. Love the “phaser” tones. This track really shows off his funk abilities, and like so many other pieces on this project, the chord progressions take you by surprise.
Alquezar - Gorgeous slide and fretless feel, for this waltz with Arabic undertones. The arpeggiated section has incredible tension and release.
Booty Princess - The waltz theme continues with his three bass primary bass sounds. The interplay between the arpeggios and runs are perfect. The harmonics add a depth to this piece that would be the same if they were played on a keyboard. It would be fascinating to hear this interpreted by a live band.
Sandstone - The runs displayed on this Spanish-style track have us green with envy. This is synonymous with the brilliant early work of Acoustic Alchemy and Al Di Meola.
The Cradle - An odd meter gem. Clean. Tactical. Surgical.
Matsumoku 223 - We’re curious if he laid down this funky, envelope filter groove on one of those rare Matsumoko basses. He really engineered this perfectly. Despite the filters, you still hear every note of the runs - and his lower part speaks to the Jaco lover in us. At this point, we’re never going to pick up our Fender Jazz again, I mean, what’s the point?! ;)
The Current - Great Bela Fleck UFO vibe on this track, and then the slow groove hits you like a shot of whiskey.
The Force - An uptempo interlude that combines so many of his styles - a bit of jazz walking, a bit of flamenco, a bit of trills.
All the While - Wonderful hamerons over a dissonant progression. Here again what could be a thick disaster he executes well. There’s a swirl of notes - but everything is articulated.
Nestor - An ode to the Greek God? The elder statesman of battle who counseled younger warriors in Homer’s “Odyssey”? Sure sounds like it.
Kunhalom - A Hungarian reference here? Very ethereal and non-western in its cycle of chords, maybe Slavic, maybe. Great hammeron, harmonics and counter-play in this little gem.
Someday - Slow driving R&B feel with this groove, like you’re driving with the window down, tapping the top of the car door to the beat with your right hand on top of the wheel. Love this groove. Nice to hear a simplistic jam in the midst of all the other work.
Little Fish - Simple and effective. Again, the chords don’t go where you think they’re going to go, and his use of wah-wah and harmonics are displayed nicely. Cute melody, too.
Cello Suite 1 Prelude - A beautiful interpretation of this Bach classic. More breathy, more spacious, not as mechanical as you’d hear on a cello.
Fable - A calm and reflective piece that brings this beautiful project to a close.
In one of his interviews he talks of wanting to do a record of Bach tunes, and we hope he does. With his ability, he could easily take some of the piano works and move them over to his equipment. Whatever he decides to do musically, we wish him the best of luck. With this type of talent, he won’t be building homes much longer.
Check it out now!