Imagine, if just for a moment, how difficult it must be. Sure. You know you’re a hot, go-to musician. Heck, you’ve been matched up with three other hotshot players by one of the very best himself, Jerry Granelli. You’ve chatted with the other guys. Good guys. Ya instantly liked them. The potential’s there for a fine time and a pistol of a concert. Still this is improv. No charts. Nobody appointed leader. Now it’s showtime. Hey. A good crowd, thank gawd. You raise your instrument into position. Nestling it against your body, you nervously massage your wrists—feeling, well, anxious. Excited anxious. OK. We’re all ready. Who’s leading off? Look around. Should I? Then J. Anthony Granelli, the only electric bass player with a formidable array of electronica foot-pedals mustered by his feet, pairs a twinkle in his eyes with a sprinkling of notes. With that, Spontaneous Combustion: Strings, began their evening of ensemble improvisation. A few lunges, retreats and noise-making forays to suss out the “team” sound. Expected. Mere minutes later, Tommy Babin and Simon Fisk on double basses, Norman Adams on cello and J. Anthony Granelli meshed into a nimble-witted, playful unit capable of incendiary speed thrills and passages of bijou sublimity. For their concluding piece, Granelli announced to the band, “Let’s do a love song.” A mischievous grin creased Fisk’s handsome mug. Immediately he stated a lovely five or six note theme. Babin picked it up. Caressed it with clever variations. Then Adams. Back to Fisk for reiteration with minor changes. This transformed into a beautiful interplay of the theme and variations, culminating in a tandem heart-beat pulse with the two acoustic basses, sotto voce, in unison, ending the piece. The crowd held their breath. Then exploded into raucous applauding. Wow.
This article appears in Jul 9-15, 2009.