South African Bass Players Collective "G-Money"
Grant Stinnett comes with a considerable pedigree. He is the son of Jim Stinnett, who is featured here on bass (‘Raindrops’, ‘High Tide’), as well as on tasteful keys (on 3 tracks). The opening tune, ‘Raindrops’, is an appealing tap-plus-fretless feature, and ‘Chaotic Spot’ combines funk bass with tap virtuosity (bassist Brent Rusinow is featured here on the intro and a solo). ‘Dark Light’ features saxophonist Dino Govoni, as does Rob Gourlay’s composition ‘Lee’s Circle’ (which also showcases bassist Gourlay’s skills). ‘O’s Lament’ is a solo feature that allows Stinnett to pull out all the taps. The next track, ‘The Traveler’ (a father-son compositional collaboration) is one of my favourites here: great tune, beautifully played. ‘I don’t need Wings to fly’, with Stinnett also on guitar, Govoni on soprano sax and Jim Stinnett on keys, explores some of the ‘outer’ territories, an interesting piece. The father and son bass duet that follows is big on chops but also features wistful fretted and fretless melodies. ‘Money in your Pocket’ is a rocking trio tune (with Everett B. Pendleton on guitar and drummer Tom Arey), with a triple-tracked tapslap interlude by Stinnett. ‘Preview’ ends the CD, an all-too-brief solo vignette by the bassist. Big on skill and attitude, perhaps less so on compositional impact, ‘G-Money’ is a superbly recorded and mixed album that is best enjoyed on high-quality ’phones or by placing your head between two speakers.

-Kai Horsthemke