Gonçalo Almeida & Dion Nijland double bass special

Both double bassists have released a solo album in 2021. At the request of POM, they join forces and Dion and Gonçalo each play a set before ending the evening with a duo of improvisation.

Gonçalo Almeida (Lisbon, 1978) This doublebass solo recording (Monólogos a Dois) captures a series of improvisations, where Almeida explores instant composing, making use of a vast palette of sounds, textures and extended techniques. His inwardness and affinity with the instrument are beautifully represented here.

‘You could translate Monólogos a Dois as Monologues for Two, with both the musician and the instrument participating. Not in a dialogue, but each within their own monologue. It quickly becomes apparent that the recording is a personal quest. Almeida’s very own ‘journal violone’, if you will. A dive into the musician’s resources and introspection’. Guy Peters

Dion Nijland (1970) I PLAY ME is a project for solo double bass conceptualized and performed by Dion Nijland. In 19 mainly improvised and a few composed pieces, Dion shows what musical self exploration can bring. ‘When I play there is sound, energy, chaos, silence. When I play there is me - I PLAY ME.

‘The album becomes [thus] a succession of compact musical stories. At times surprisingly rich and full of small, elaborate details, at other times with coarser sweeps and direct expression’. Guy Peters, Enola