Mike Downes: Mind Mirrors
Mike Downes

In Mike Downes' own words, all of the compositions on Mind Mirrors, his first solo bass album, “pay deep gratitude to the long lineage of extraordinary bassists who blazed the way forward.” So when “No Me Lo Diga” introduces the eleven-track set with a propulsive track featuring bass and percussion, the gesture might be taken for a nod to Jaco and his own debut solo album, which famously begins with a bass-and-percussion treatment of Charlie Parker's “Donna Lee.” That's where similarities end, however. First and foremost, Downes is no Jaco clone, as the Canadian bassist has forged his own identity over many decades of playing and recordings. Secondly, Downes plays acoustic bass, not fretless, though he's not averse to enhancing the instrument's sound through overdubbing. It's also worth noting that while it's Don Alias playing congas on “Donna Lee,” the percussive track in “No Me Lo Diga” was created from acoustic bass.

In text accompanying the release, Downes notes that “Alone or Together,” a tune he wrote in his twenties but never recorded until now, pays tribute to the great Ray Brown, and one might safely presume others on Downes' honour roll might include Ron Carter, Oscar Pettiford, Paul Chambers, Scott LaFaro, and others. A couple of pieces are even funk-driven in a way that suggests someone like Bootsy Collins could also be part of that mix. No matter the piece, Downes executes it with authority and deploys his refined musicality and technical command to maximize impact.

As importantly, he bolsters listening engagement by giving each piece a compositional framework as a springboard for soloing. That gives Mind Mirrors the feel of a proper song-based collection as opposed to a string of improvised bass solos. Each piece feels like a well-rounded story, not a vehicle for self-indulgence, and many feel like travelers, too. Whereas “No Me Lo Diga” and “Morning Sun Ringing” are subtly African-tinged, “Thunder” and “Strings Attached” are rousingly funky and “Campfire Waltz” folk-inflected. All of the pieces are Downes originals but one, a ruminative treatment of Julie Styne and Sammy Cahn's “I Fall in Love too Easily” that showcases his full-bodied bass sound and diverse attack splendidly.

On the introduction to “Thunder,” phone-recorded storm sounds accompany his playing on the Yamaha SLB200—its sole appearance on the album, though he used the instrument to compose much of the album's music. Downes also smartly changes the presentation at strategic moments. After powering through the rhythmic workout “Thunder,” he bows throughout “Human Being Human” and uses elaborate overdubbing in “Morning Sun Ringing” to combine two Arco parts, a bass pulse, solo, and a bass-produced percussion track.

September 2022