In preparation for a lecture recital about Larry Grenadier’s solo record The Gleaners and the lineage of unaccompanied double bass albums, jazz bassist and composer Marty Isenberg put together this awesome list of unaccompanied double bass albums.
Several DBHQ community members continue to add titles to this wonderful resource. If you have unnaccompanied double bass albums that do no appear, please let us know.
A big thanks to Marty for his work on this, and be sure to check out his latest album The Way I Feel Inside: Inspired by the films of Wes Anderson. A big thanks also to Mike Hennessy for his addition of many classical solo double bass albums.
Also, a huge thanks to Björn Klaus for putting together this Spotify playlist with most of the artists listed below. You can find Björn’s debut album The Complete First Season on YouTube.
Unaccompanied double bass albums listed by decade
1960s/70s
- Barre Philips – Journal Violone (AKA Bass Barre or Barre Unaccompanied), 1968
- Alan Silva – Inner Song, 1974
- Henri Texier – Amir, 1976
- Fernando Grillo – Fluvine, 1976
- Barry Guy – Statements V-XI, 1977.
- Dave Holland – Emerald Tears, 1978
- Gary Peacock – December Poems, 1978
- Henri Texier – Varech, 1979
- Reggie Workman – The Works of Workman, 1979
1980s
- Roberto Miguel Miranda – The Creator’s Musician, 1980
- David Friesen – Paths Beyond Tracing 1980
- Barre Phillips – Journal Violone II, 1980
- Jonas Hellborg – The Bassic Thing, 1981
- Rob Wasserman – Solo, 1983
- Jonas Hellborg – Elegant Punk, 1984
- Miroslav Vitous – Emergence, 1986
- Stefano Scodanibbio – Untitled, 1987
- Ron Carter – All Alone, 1988
- Klaus Koch – Basse Partout, 1988
- Peter Kowald – Open Secrets, 1988
- William Parker – Painter’s Autumn, 1989
- Bjørn Ianke – The Contemporary Solo Double Bass, 1989
1990s
- Mark Helias – Available Light, 1990
- Aladar Pege – Virtuoso Solo Bass, 1990
- Barre Philips – Camouflage, 1990
- Anders Jormin – Alone, 1991
- Léon Francioli – Acoustic Ladyland, 1991
- Joëlle Léandre – Urban Bass, 1991
- Malachi Favors – The Natural and the Spiritual, 1992
- David Friesen – Long Trip Home, 1992
- Barry Guy – Fizzles, 1993
- Eberhard Weber – Pendulum, 1993
- Tatsu Aoki – Avant-bass live : solo bass performance, 1993
- Peter Kowald – Was Da Ist?, 1994
- Robert Black – State of the Bass, 1994
- Franz Pillinger – Eros-ion, 1994
- Joëlle Léandre – Sincerely, 1994
- Dave Holland – Ones All, 1995
- Mark Dresser – Invocation, 1995
- Glenn Moore – Dragonetti’s Dream, 1995
- Michael Pfeuti – Resonanz, 1995
- Gerd Reinke – Kontrabass Solo, 1996
- John Lindberg – Luminosity : Homage To David Izenzon, 1996
- Mike Milligan – Solo Flights, 1996
- Robert Black – Hanne Darboven Opus 17a, 1996
- Renaud Garcia-Fons – Legendes, 1996
- William Parker – Testimony, 1996
- Dominic Duval – Nightbird Inventions, 1997
- Michael Formanek – Am I Bothering You?, 1997
- William Parker – Lifting The Sanctions, 1998
- Franz Pillinger – I Am Because You Are : Art Of Bass, 1998
- Stefano Scodanibbio – Voyage That Never Ends, 1998
- Giovanni Maier – Polaroid – Bass Solo 1998
- Jonathan Zorn – Contrabass, 1998
- Hakon Thelin – A P) Reference to Other Things, 1998
- Joe Fonda – When It’s Time, 1999
- Hartmut Kracht – Kontrabass pur, 1999
2000s
- Lynn Seaton – Solo Flights, 2000
- Dominic Duval – Anniversary, 2000
- Keizo Mizoiri – Contrabass Typhoon, 2000
- Stefano Scodanibbio – Geographia Amorosa, 2000
- Michael Cameron – Basso Solo, 2001
- Peter Kowald – Silence and Flies, 2001
- Joëlle Léandre – No Comment, 2001
- Barry Guy – Symmetries, 2001
- Peter Kowald – Silence and Flies, 2001
- Barre Phillips – Journal Violone. 9, 2001
- Wilbert De Joode – Olo, 2002
- Anthony Cox – That & This, 2002
- Paul Rogers – Listen, 2002
- Ed Schuller – Ong Song Music For Solo Bass, 2002
- Kent Kessler – Bull Fiddle, 2002
- Ken Filiano – Subvenire, 2002
- Ingebrigt Håker-Flaten – Double Bass, 2003
- Patrick Neher – Soliloquy, 2003
- Marcin Oles – Ornette On Bass, 2003
- Franz Pillinger – Gamba Tunes & Jazz Sonatas, 2003
- Jimmi Roger Pedersen – Bass Only, 2004
- Jacek Niedziela – Bassville, 2004
- Jonas Tauber – Storm Walking Singing, 2004
- Rob Clutton – Dubious pleasures, 2005
- Michael Manring – Soliquy, 2005
- Mark Dresser – Unveil, 2005
- Donovan Stokes – Gadaha, 2006
- Boris Kozlov – Double Standard, 2007
- Jimmi Roger Pedersen – Bass Beyond, 2007
- Dominic Duval – Song for Krakow, 2007
- Nina De Heney – Archipelago, 2007
- Deiter Ilg – Bass, 2008
- Mark Urness – Foreground, 2008
- Brian Bromberg – Hands, 2008
- Jan Roder – Double Bass, 2008
- Mauro Sereno – My Jazz Vol. 1, 2008
- Ron Merhavi – One on One, 2009
- Henry Grimes – Solo, 2009
- Barre Philips – Portraits, 2009
2010s
- Stefano Scodanibbio – Oltracuidansa, 2010
- Robert Landfermann – Null, 2010
- Mike Majkowski – Tremolo, 2010
- Nina De Heney – Three, 2011
- Hakon Thelin – Light, 2011
- Renaud Garcia-Fons – Solo, 2011
- James Ilgenfritz – Compositions (Braxton), 2012
- Sebastian Gramss – Atopie, 2012
- Joel Grip – Pickelhaub, 2012
- Renaud Garcia-Fons – Solo : the Marcevol Concert, 2012
- Charnett Moffett – The Bridge, 2013
- Michinori Bunya – Memory, Works for Solo Double Bass, 2013
- Jacek Niedziela – Bassville 2, 2014
- Nenad Vasilic – The Art of Balkan Bass, 2014
- Mike Majkowski – Why is there something instead of nothing?, 2014
- Gil Lachenal – El Paseo : Contrebasse Solo, 2014
- Hakon Thelin – A Stefano Scodanibbio, 2014
- Benjamin Duboc – St. James Infirmary, 2014
- Scott Worthington – Prism, 2015
- Marco Bardoscia – Tutti, 2015
- Hakon Thelin – Folk, 2015
- Louis-Michael Marion – 5 Strophes, 2015
- Mike Majkowski – Bright astonishment of the night, 2015
- David Heyes – Postcards from Prague, 2016
- Don Messina – Dedicated To…, 2016
- Lloyd Goldstein – The Way Back, 2016
- Various Artists – A Tribute to Teppo, 2016
- Bruce Gertz – Singularity, 2017
- Robert Black – Possessed, 2017
- Félicie Bazelaire – Basse Seule, 2017
- Ksawery Wójciński – Tower of Pressure, 2017
- Peter Dominguez – Groove Dreams, 2017
- Sébastien Beliah – Nocturnes, 2017
- Dan Styffe – Postcards From Oslo, 2017
- Bruce Gertz – Tone of Spirit, 2018
- Barre Philips – End to End, 2018
- Tom Wheatley – Double bass, 2018
- Larry Grenadier – The Gleaners, 2019
- Brandon Lopez – Quoniam Facta Sum Vilis, 2018
- Sigurd Hole – Elvesang, 2018
- Barre Philips – Call me when you get there, 2018
- Federico Bagnasco – Le trame del legno, 2019
- Bruno Laurent – Inox-erable ! 2019
- Darek Oleszkiewicz – Blues of Charlie, 2019
- John Patitucci – Soul of the Bass, 2019
- Nenad Vasilic – Bass Room, 2019
2020s
- Darek Oleszkiewicz – The Promise, 2020
- Michael Cretu – Byzantium Connection, 2020
- Shagan Grolier – Vanherenthals 4 Baroque Suites for Solo Double Bass, 2020
- Damon Smith – Whatever is not Stone is Light, 2020
- Dan Fortin – The latest tech : nine pieces for solo double bass, 2020
- Fabien Sevilla – Rites : contrebasse solo. Vol. III , 2020
- Michael Bisio – Travel music, 2020
- Jorge Roedor – El Suelo Lio, 2020
- Nenad Vasilic – Solo Live, 2021
- Patrick Neher – Concert Solos for Contrabass, 2021
- Vitold Rek – Bassfiddle Alla Polacca, 2021
- Dion Nijland – I Play Me, 2021
- Jacob Ferrazza – Wood Tales, 2021
- Meinrad Kneer – vocabularies, 2021
- Hans Sturm – Voyage, 2021
- Massimo Pinca – Fragments, 2021
- Marc Johnson – Overpass, 2021
- Johannes Fend – Journey, 2021
- Joseph Warner – Alon:Es, 2021
- Clovis Nicolas – Autoportrait, 2021
- Vladimir Torres – Music for a Locked in Double Bass, 2021
- Michael Formanek – Imperfect Measures, 2021
- Gus Loxbo – Trådknaster, 2021
- Joel Braun – Unaccompanied, 2022
- Jacques Emery – ARCO, 2022
- Andreas Waelti – Lowdown, 2022
- Stephen Crump – Rocket Love, 2022
- Vega Trails – Tremors in the Static, 2022
- Kyle Motl – Hydra Nightingale 2022
- Max Johnson – Hermit Music, 2022
- Michael Bisio – Inimitable, 2022
- Marco Bellafiore – Forme e Racconti, 2022
- Thomas Pol – Blue Soil, 2022
- Rick Rosato – Homage, 2022
- Florentin Ginot – Contrabasse, 2022
- Darek Oleszkiewicz – Inspiration, 2022
- Florent Ghys – Ritournelles, 2022
- Rodrigo Mata – Mar del Norte, 2022
- Helen Svoboda – I Heard the Clouds, 2022
- Kham Meslien – Fantomes… Futurs, 2022
- Donat Zamiara – Three Pieces from the Last Century for Solo Double Bass, 2023
- Bruce Gertz – In Real Time, 2023
- Volkan Orhan – Baroque Inspirations for Solo Double Bass, 2023
- Brandon Lopez – Vilevilevilevile, 2023
- Max Gerl – Max Gerl, 2023
- Andrés Martín – ALONE, 2023
- Pascal Niggenkemper – La vallée de l’étrange, 2023
- Mark Dresser – Tines for Change, 2023
- Johannes Eick – Music for Solo Six-String Double Bass, 2023 Bruno Raberg- Look Inside, 2023
- Pedro García Rivera – Luna Roja, 2023
- Joseph Warner – Shaman, 2023
- Ole Amund Gjersvik – Cortado, 2023
- Ron Merhavi – Up My Bass, 2024
- Edwin Barker – Basso Profundo, 2024
- Daniele Esposito – Per Altri Motivi, 2024
- Marco Bellafiore – Vetri, Corpi, Forme e Racconti, 2024
- Peter Dominguez, Bass Salute, 2024
- Stephen Tramontozzi — Basso Novo, 2024
- Stephen Tramontozzi — Basso Antico, 2025
- Shawn Conley – Uncharted, 2025
- Birgir Steinn Theodorsson – Live at Hannesorholt, 2026
- David Bowden, Unsung Songs, 2026
- Helen Svoboda, Headwater, 2026
