Neal Miner
Acoustic Bass Solo on
Moon River

About

Neal Miner's partial-chorus acoustic bass solo is the sole improvisation on this alternate version of Mancini and Mercer's beloved standard. Covering roughly forty percent of the 40-bar ABAC form at 83 BPM in G in 3/4 time, Miner brings an earthy, grounded quality to the waltz arrangement. His warm tone and melodic approach create an intimate atmosphere that suits the song's wistful lyrics, and the choice to feature bass as the solo instrument gives this version a distinctly different character from the guitar-featured primary version elsewhere on the album.

Neal Miner was 52 to 53 years old at the time.