Ricky Rodriguez
Acoustic Bass Solo on
Isfahan

About

Ricky Rodriguez's acoustic bass solo is the third and final solo on this Standard Sessions recording of Isfahan. He takes one chorus of the 32-bar ABAC form at 95 BPM, the tempo having settled slightly from the preceding solos. Following Chad Lefkowitz-Brown's tenor saxophone and Carmen Staaf's piano, Rodriguez brings a bass perspective to Strayhorn and Ellington's melodic ballad, navigating its chromatically rich harmonies with a warm, full tone. The slower tempo and spacious form provide an exposed context that highlights his melodic sensibility and intonation across the instrument's range.