Search - Michael Manring :: Drastic Measures

Awesome Bass Album

bebster2 | San Franciso, CA USA | 10/24/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"this has got to be one of my most favorite albums, in the early 90's i actually bought 2 casette copies of it, one i wanted to preserve and the the other i played till the player bled.Michael Manring, is one of players who are able to mesh in awesome technique with out compromising the soul of a song, this album speaks to your emotion yet will baffle you with how much technical skill is used.kudos Mike.Bebster"

Mostly Magic

Marc Ruby? | Warren, MI USA | 04/26/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This album is an interesting combination of Michael Manring's own compositions and some interesting covers (Sting - Spirits in the Material World, Jimi Hendrix - Purple Haze, and Chick Corea - 500 Miles High). Almost everything is 'Soft Jazz.' Sometimes a bit too soft - sometimes the album slips away from you and suddenly it's several cuts later.Still, it is very much the sort of thing I like. Peaceful, for the most part, with some very interesting displays of technique (see Purple Haze). Keep in mind when you are listening that there are not other guitars other than the basses. Paul McCandless does a superb job on several solos, especially his oboe on Oyasumi Nasai and the sax solo on Deja Voodoo. Manring allows his bass playing to take a larger part than he does on many of his albums, but keeps it from dominating the music, which makes for a good balance. I find that the more you listen to the album, the more you find in it, and the more you like it."