IN THE GROOVES

Albums rocking our office this month

NEW ALBUM Mabel, High Expectations (2019)

Three bassists (Josh Werner, Tre Jean-Marie and Al Shux) supply the low notes on the debut album by newcomer Mabel. Sure, it’s slick R&B for teenagers, but even the most curmudgeonly bassist can’t deny the power of those grooves.

OLD ALBUM Eagle Eye Cherry, Desireless (1997)

Mabel’s uncle Eagle Eye had a way with grooves himself ‘back in the day’, performing like a maestro on his debut album and tying in serendipitously with this month’s ‘three generations of music’ concept for In The Grooves.

REALLY OLD ALBUM Don Cherry and John Coltrane, The Avant-Garde (1966)

On this astonishing record, bass players Charlie Haden and Percy Heath show more talent than 10 of the rest of us. The way that Cherry, Mabel’s grandfather, weaves around the arrangement is an object lesson.