Stephan Crump - solo
Memphis-bred, Grammy-nominated bassist/composer Stephan Crump is an active bandleader with fifteen critically-acclaimed album releases in addition to numerous film scoring contributions. Stephan’s solo performance, which explores his unique musical language through an expansive range of sonorities on the acoustic bass, is a culmination of decades of work as a bassist, composer, and improviser. From his home studio in Brooklyn, Crump released monthly solo recordings throughout the last year in a fan-supported series via his Bandcamp page. The new album, Rocket Love, is curated from this body of work.
Known for transforming his instrument into a speaking entity of magnetic pull, Crump's focus on creative instrumental music has led to collaborations with many of the leading lights of his generation, most notably Vijay Iyer, in whose trio and sextet he played a dynamic, founding role. Stephan can also be heard as long-standing member of Jen Chapin Trio, Ches Smith Trio, Rez Abbasi Acoustic Quartet, Liberty Ellman Sextet, Secret Keeper (duo with Mary Halvorson), his own Rosetta Trio (with Jamie Fox, Liberty Ellman), his Rhombal quartet (with Ellery Eskelin, Adam O’Farrill, Tyshawn Sorey), Borderlands Trio (with Kris Davis, Eric McPherson) as well as co-led ensembles with Ingrid Laubrock, Cory Smythe, Mat Maneri, and Okkyung Lee.
“I am tempted to call Rocket Love my favorite solo bass recording of all time. At a minimum, it is the most varied and fun.” - PopMatters
“Crump plays the bass with an effortless balance of molten flow and forceful power. For a listener, the result is another kind of healthy tension: between dynamic uncertainty and deep reassurance.” - The New York Times