About
Alex Claffy takes one chorus of acoustic bass on Holger Marjamaa's original waltz "You're Not Alone," opening the solo section on this track from the 2019 album Mostly Standards. His melodic approach and strong tone bring the low instrument into the foreground as a lead voice over the 48-bar ABA form in B-flat minor at 125 BPM. The waltz feel gives Claffy's improvisation a lyrical quality, his lines flowing naturally within the three-quarter time framework. As the first of two soloists, his bass chorus lays the emotional groundwork for Marjamaa's piano solo that follows, the dialogue between the two instruments embodying the reassuring spirit suggested by the composition's title.
Alex Claffy was 26 to 27 years old at the time.
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