Jory Herman, Los Angeles Philharmonic Double Bassist, announced the release of a captivating new album on July 10, 2024. This fourth solo album features his exceptional talents on double bass with Marina Pacowski‘s virtuosic piano accompaniment. It delivers an enchanting musical experience of five works by female composers while showcasing the remarkable synergy between the two virtuoso musicians.
Herman, brings his double bass mastery to this album, offering a rich, resonant sound that “you’ll never think of the bass the same way again.” – The San Diego Union Tribune. His collaboration with France native Marina Pacowski, a celebrated pianist and jazz vocalist known for her vibrant playing and passionate artistry, creates a dynamic and alluring musical partnership.
Among the pieces on the album are two world-premiere commissions and two new arrangements for the often-overlooked instrument. These modern works are brought to life through the lens of Herman’s artistic vision, which cements his commitment to championing new music and expanding the horizons of the double bass repertoire. Herman commissioned Jordan Jinosko and Mieke Doezema to write world-premiere pieces while also arranging works by Rachel Portman and Amy Beach. Rounding out the sound world is up-and-coming New York-based composer Mason Bynes with recently composed Hades for the ‘Bass Players for Black Composers’ organization.
This groundbreaking solo album, titled Argonautical, draws from the album’s standout work Argonauta by Jordan Jinosko. The word “Argonauta” literally means, “sailor of the Argo,” but it can refer to either nautical adventurers or a specific genus of octopuses with large eyes and webbed tentacles—animals that live unusually close to the surface of the water. Gecko by Mieke Doezema explores the child-like admiration of these reptiles of Hawai’i, her current locale, and inspired by the lopsided mannerisms and intricate designs. Amy Beach was one of America’s first successful female composers of large-scale instrumental music in the early 1900s, and her violin piece, Romance, has become a recital favorite. Recollection by British film composer Rachel Portman was originally written for cello and piano, but Herman’s transcription of it offers an emotional depth that only the sonority of the bass can achieve.
The Harmon Lewis Memorial Collaborative Keyboard Artist Award from the International Society of Bassists and the Community Arts Grant from the City of Burbank supports this project.
Argonautical will be available on July 10, 2024, across all major streaming platforms, including Youtube, BandCamp, Spotify, and Apple Music. To celebrate the release, Herman will perform recitals in the Los Angeles area in September:
Sept. 15th, 2024, at 2:00 p.m. at Salit Conservatory of Music in Burbank, CA (with special guest introduction by the children’s fiction book The Color of Sound author Emily Barth Isler)
Sept. 19th, 2024 at 7:30 p.m. at Shigemi Matsumoto Recital Hall at California State University in Northridge.
