Aram Bedrosian, Aram Bedrosian

(Bassalisk Music, CD)

Aram Bedrosian [1] is one badass bass player. Although his new, self-titled CD is his first solo effort, the Burlington-based musician and instructor has been entrenched in the local scene for nearly 20 years. Bedrosian has shared the stage or recorded with a variety of interesting artists, such as Chris Wood of Medeski, Martin & Wood, The Gordon Stone Band, Concentric, Ween, bluesman Joe Bonamassa and pop-country act Rumble Doll.

A UVM grad in jazz and classical composition, Bedrosian is a highly versatile player, comfortable with a wide range of styles - progressive rock, speed metal, pop, folk, fusion, jazz and electronica. He's also garnering worldwide interest as a bass teacher, providing online lessons via webcam from his Burlington studio.

His debut was mixed and mastered by Andre Maquera at West Street Digital Studios, and it sounds clear and crisp. Throughout the recording, Bedrosian not only displays uncanny control and command of his bass, but also shows a clear direction for his unique instrumental voice.

You can definitely hear why Bedrosian is effective in so many genres; his chops alone exceed most players'. But what really makes these tracks - composed over two years and recorded in six months - truly amazing is that they were laid down with just a single bass guitar. That's right: no overdubs or special effects of any kind, just highly creative compositions and rock-solid performances.

Bedrosian's impressive dynamics produce infectious, resonating grooves that really hold your attention. "Mezzanine," "Terracotta" and "No Words" each turn on the drop of a dime, while "Space Opera" and "Thumpty Dumpty" feature well punctuated solos that quite literally left my mouth agape.

If you enjoy the bass guitar's bottom-end rhythms and punch, you'll want to hop aboard this train. Bedrosian's instrument is the engine, and he's an incredibly capable conductor. Catch his CD release party at Higher Ground Tuesday, February 20, with another one-man band, That 1 Guy.