Bob Wolf Soup Nieske's Simplicity CD

For this disc, Nieske's trio is joined by the Lydian String Quartet for half of the tunes on the album. While the idea of a blend of post-bop jazz and classical forms is intriguing, the execution is not always flawless, with the quartet often sounding shoe-horned into the pieces. ~ Tim Sheridan

Bob's basic musical philosophy:"There is nothing particularly new in music. Trash cans have been burned, pianos set ablaze or dropped from great heights, incredible extremes of dynamics (from Aerosmith to John Cage). There are basically only 12 notes and I think all the harmonic combinations must have been tried by now. At some point in the future there may be developments like a helmet that the performer wears that translates and amplifies the sounds directly from the wearer's mind! Wow! But even there the music comes from the individual. The way to write or play original music is to find a way of infusing the music with your essence...not to try to think up something that has never been done before or come up with far out crazy sounds. If you can get your essence into the music then you will have something original ...because there is only one of you. You can't get around it...play yourself." Bob NieskeA Little Bio: Bob Nieske received his M.M. degree in composition with honors from New England conservatory in 1981. He was the bassist with the Jimmy Giuffre 4 for twelve years and appears on Jimmy's three Soul Note recordings. Bob has also recorded with Alan Dawson, Dave Grisman, Stephane Grappelli, George Russell and the Living Time Orchestra, Bevan Manson, Jay Geils, Gerry Beaudoin, Duke Robillard, The Either Orchestra and Herb Pomeroy and has performed with Charlie Byrd, Eartha Kitt, Attila Zoller, Ronnie Earl, Tiger Okoshi, Dakota Stayton, John Blake, Jackie and Roy, Richie Cole, and Larry Coryell. In 1991 Bob was nominated for outstanding bassist by the Boston music awards and in 1994 he won the Jazz Composers Alliance composition contest. Bob is currently Professor of the Practice in Jazz at Brandeis Universityand on the Faculty at New England Conservatory.What some folks have said: "   SIMPLICITY is a wonderful album, beautifully conceived, written, played.  Congratulations to you and all the others involved in it.  As Red Mitchell, one of my heroes, said, "Simple isn't easy."    Anyhow, Jimmy [Giuffre] would love this album as much as I; I hope he's heard it.  It's so good to hear music that reaches for so much, but does it so gracefully.  I hope you're hard at work on another one." Best Wishes,  Steve Swallow "The slow "Wee Three" is so sparse that it suggests a Japanese collective form of ink drawing. "Simplicity" is an ethos here as well as the title track, and the tune's airy lightness suggests Nino Rota's carnival-inspired music for Fellini."....this music sounds fresh, as notable for what's left out as for what remains."Stuart Broomer, Amazon Editorial Reviews"Grenadier's such a melodic, intelligent soloist that his open improvisation istotally coherent; he resolves his phrases perfectly. Nieske's a powerful, heavy bassistwho really lifts the music as an accompanist and is a strong, inventive soloist." Harvey Pekar,Jazz Times"Bassist and composer Nieske's charts are superb in concept and execution, and cast the strings in everything from noir soundtracks to sawing post-Bartok refrains."Martin Wiskol, American Reporter"...gets right away from standard tunes and sequences and avoids all cliches. Instead, it explores extended written passages alongside free and playful improvisations, which are at times quirky but also profound and captivationg. Challenging for the listener maybe, but beautifully conceived and performed."M.C., Double Bassist Magazine "When the trio locks into its three-way contrapuntal interplay, tunes like "The Stretch," "Emma," and "Phil's Thrill" achieve an organic unity heard only in the very best improvised music."Ed Hazell, Boston Phoenix

Recorded at PBS Studio, WesDown Beat (8/01, p.80) - 4 stars out of 5 - "...A deep, haunting set....building and flowing...lush colors and haunting refrains..."
JazzTimes (3/01, pp.88-9) - "...Nieske's a powerful, heavy bassist who really lifts the music as an accompanist and is a strong, inventive soloist..."