Aaron Germain
Spending 20 years as a busy hired gun bass player, Aaron Germain has traveled the world and learned from the masters. Growing up in Massachusetts and studying at Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts (with Yusef Lateef), he cut his teeth on upright and electric bass in bands playing jazz, blues, funk, reggae, Senegalese mbalax, and more, while traveling all around the northeast.
Since moving to the Bay Area in 2000, his calendar has always been full, and he's expanded his repertoire to include salsa and Afro-Cuban music, Brazilian forro music, Caribbean steel pan music, Indian kathak dance, calypso, and dense odd-meter jazz.
Over the years, Aaron has performed with artists such as:
Since moving to the Bay Area in 2000, his calendar has always been full, and he's expanded his repertoire to include salsa and Afro-Cuban music, Brazilian forro music, Caribbean steel pan music, Indian kathak dance, calypso, and dense odd-meter jazz.
Over the years, Aaron has performed with artists such as:
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* Yusef Lateef
* Stanley Jordon * Andy Narell * Michael Wolff * Tommy Igoe * Bonnie Raitt * Francisco Aquabella * Nguyen Le * Paul McCandless * Scott Hamilton * Tommy Igoe * Alex de Grassi * John Handy * Melba Moore * Mary Wilson * Paula West * Jason Samuel Smith * Tom Coster * Gary Meek * Gene Jackson |
* Kendra Shank
* Gary Versace * John Stowell * Jacqui Naylor * Barry Finnerty * Calvin Keyes * Jeff Massanari * Michael Zilber * Dwight Trible * Eddie Marshal * Art Khu * Dave Ellis * Babatunde Lea * Gordon Stone * Kenny Washington * Josh Jones * Akira Tana * Jamie Davis * Royal Hartigan |
He has performed at venues and in events such as the Blue Note (NYC), Scullers (Boston), The House of Blues (Boston), Blues Alley (Washington DC), Zanzibar Blue (Philadelphia), Yoshi's (SF), Yoshi's (Oakland), The Jazz School (Berkeley), Humphrey's by the Bay (San Diego), The Fillmore (SF), Dakotas (Minneapolis), The Iron Horse (Northampton), Herbst Theatre (SF), Kuumbwa (Santa Cruz), Le Club Jazz (Kyoto), Cafe Yorozuya (Kobe), Z Imagine (Tokyo), Donfan (Tokyo), MEG (Tokyo), Bar T.T. Funk (Tokyo), The San Francisco Jazz Festival, The North Beach Jazz Festival, The Fillmore Jazz Festival, The San Jose Jazz Festival, and the Drumming in the New Millennium Festival in front of the Great Pyramids of Egypt.
In 2021, Aaron was recognized twice in the 42nd Annual Jazz Station Awards, for his acoustic bass playing and his electric bass playing, along with other winners Ron Carter, Christian McBride, Dave Holland, John Patitucci, and Steve Swallow.
In 2021, Aaron was recognized twice in the 42nd Annual Jazz Station Awards, for his acoustic bass playing and his electric bass playing, along with other winners Ron Carter, Christian McBride, Dave Holland, John Patitucci, and Steve Swallow.
Aaron has released three solo albums. "Before You Go" features "Chance" features Nguyen Le on guitar, Frank Martin on keyboards, Deszon Claiborne on drums, Mary Fettig on flute, and Van-Anh Vo on Dan T'rung. "Bell Projections" features Paul McCandless, Nestor Torres, Mary Fettig, and many others.
Aaron has released three solo albums. "Before You Go" features "Chance" features Nguyen Le on guitar, Frank Martin on keyboards, Deszon Claiborne on drums, Mary Fettig on flute, and Van-Anh Vo on Dan T'rung. "Bell Projections" features Paul McCandless, Nestor Torres, Mary Fettig, and many others.
Reviews of his CDs:
Midwest Record (Chris Spector)
Inventive world beat jazz. Nothing so radical about that, or is there? Intertwining Weather Report with Headhunters with various world sounds, this crew does it all and does it on point in a creative and fascinating way. Top shelf stuff for the sitting down jazz fan ...
All About Jazz (Ian Patterson)
San Francisco based bassist/composer Aaron Germain's follow-up to his debut Before You Go (Self Produced, 2010) harnesses some of the Bay Area's finest musicians on another set of the leader's original compositions. The personnel, who includes French/Vietnamese guitarist Nguyen Le, is completely different to Germain's eclectic debut and it sounds like it too. Whereas Before You Go reflected Germain's command of bop, funk, blues and Latin, Chance is more stylistically homogeneous. To be sure, Germain's diverse musical threads are present, but he weaves them together in a more seamless manner.
"Antes de Ir" begins with flautist Mary Fettig and Le stating the melody in unison. Le peels away with shimmering single note lines, buoyed by pianist Frank Martin, drummer Deszon X Claiborne and Germain's steady bass. Fettig picks up the reins, unfurling a mazy solo before reuniting with Le. A piano, bass and guitar unison riff momentarily injects a burst of pace, and apart from another brief flute excursion, this riff underpins a thunderous drum feature that continues until the composition's dramatic conclusion. It's a thrilling opener and has all the makings of a live tour de force.
Le is a significant presence throughout; his lyricism on the intro to the Bob James-esque "Ginger Skin" has a veena-like singing quality and the solo that follows couples tremendous fluidity with an overtly melodic sensibility. Germain's outing on electric bass is brief, and in general throughout the recording he orchestrates the music with intricate, grooving bass lines. His funk work on the lively "Bunk Bread" colors the tune as much as Le's biting jazz-rock solo. In firey mode, Le's ever-evolving solo evokes jazz-fusion guitarist Dean Brown. Martin on B-3 Organ and Germain respond with charged solos of their own.
There's more 1970s' funk/jazz-rock on "Already Not Yet"; Le's wacka wacka guitar is circa Starsky and Hutch while Martin flowing Fender Rhodes lines and squealing Mini Moog recall keyboardist Charlie Haden but this is essentially an intimate trio dialogue and it provides an absolute highlight of the set.
Chance serves up a pleasing blend of chops, grooves and strong melodies, with compositional nuance to boot. It serves further notice of Germain's growing confidence as both composer and leader and should appeal to jazz-fusion fans at both extremes of the spectrum.
Bassplayer Magazine (Jon D'Auria)
On his new album Chance, the San Francisco Bay Area's Aaron Germain brings his impressive chops to a set of compositions demonstrating his take on jazz, blues, and fusion. Using both electric and upright basses to lead his live band, Germain's lightning-fast licks shine on songs like "Already Not Yet," "Bunk Bread," and "Ginger Skin." Though his showmanship on electric bass often steals the show, his contemplative upright playing on "Chlkurin" reveals Germain's true depth.
Somthing Else Reviews (S. Victor Aaron)
In twenty years as a bass player who’s equally proficient on both the standup and electric, Aaron Germain has played in bands performing virtually every kind of music from every corner of the world, including calypso, jazz, blues, reggae, Brazilian forro, Afro-Cuban music and fusion. Originally form the Northeast, Germain has become a fixture in the San Francisco bay area scene, having played for jazz luminaries on both coasts far too many to mention (we took notice of his bass contributions on a recent release by Bay Area guitarist David Haskell).
It’s only recently that Germain has begun to make his records as a leader; following up on his 2010 debut Before You Go, he now has added Chance to his nascent catalog.
Chance is widely diverse in styles, just as one should expect from someone of Germain’s background. But “diverse” alone doesn’t make it good, and the ace bassist goes plenty of distance to make it divergent yet lucid. A leader far more deft at leading than his thin discography would suggest, he gets the most out of his bandmates, fully allowing their own voices come through. He balances that out nicely with making his bass – whether a sturdy old standup or a state-of-the-art six string plugged-in model – the main proponent of every track.
One sure way to make a record diverse in a creative way is to enlist Vietnamese-French guitar marvel Nguyên Lê, whose mastery of Far East and West music forms is in his DNA. Listen to the microtones he slips into “Antes de Ir,” an ostensibly rock fusion song but with a slight East Asian flavor accentuated by Mary Fettig’s flute, and culminating in a blazing drum explosion by Deszon X. Claiborne. Another novel way Indochina finds its way into First World fusion is on “Nhung Bac Thang,” where a marimba-like Vietnamese instrument Dàn T’rung (played by Van-Anh Vo) syncs with Lê’s guitar on slippery lines, almost like Frank Zappa attempting a Brazilian tune. Frank Martin on piano and Lê later exchange solos that are stylish in their own ways as the mood gets heavier.
Germain, though, is an improviser every bit as splashy as his special guest guitarist. He leads “Bunk Bread,” a bonafide rocker, with a kinky, muscular ostinato while Lê alternately unions with his electric bass and Martin’s B-3 organ; Germain is Stanley Clarke quick on his solo.
Speaking of Clarke, “Already Not Yet” at times acts like a leftover track from Romantic Warrior and in other aspects an outtake from Thrust, pulling together the best elements of Return To Forever and the Headhunters. This time, Germain’s sumptuous lines are something out of Jimmy Haslip’s playbook. Germain plays the rubbery main figure on “Ginger Skin” similar to a rhythm guitar, and goes up high and melodic on his bass solo.
Already proving he’s got great range, Germain reveals more when he reaches out for an acoustic bass. He interacts well with Martin’s piano on straight-jazz ballad “Chikurin” and “Ringo Oiwake” has this memorable, pretty strain delivered sensitively by Martin, again on piano, and Germain.
Applying his vast bass skills to original material that’s both challenging and bracing, Germain made a damned near flawless fusion album that conjures up what was so great about fusion back in the day, but injected with fresh ideas. He took some chances on Chance, and they paid off each time.
Jazz Weekly (George W. Harris)
Upright, fretted, unfretted, four to six stringed, or piccolo, the bass is shown what it can do here when, literally, it is in the right hands.
Aaron Germain plays both electric and acoustic basses here, fronting a band with Nguyen Le/g, Frank Martin/key and Deszon X Claiborne/dr. Mary Fettig’s dreamy flute glides over “Antes de Ir” and some funky grooves are enhanced by Van-Anh Vo on “Nhung Bac Thang” while the rest of the time you get some bluesy piano work on Chikurin” and amazing fingerworking by the two axe men on “Ginger Skin.”If you want funk with the B3, “Bunk Bread” will smoke you out of the room, and you’ll want to see Germain perform “Already Not Yet” in concert to see if he’s using mirrors or not. Hip little outing!
Folk and Acoustic Music Exchange (Mark S. Tucker)
FAME readers will probably first have chanced across bassist Aaron German when I reviewed Beata Pater's Red (here) because he stood out there, and he stands out, of course, a good deal more here. Moreover, the guy chose top-notch VietNamese guitarist Nguyen Le, barely known here in the U.S. but very much favored over in Europe, as one of four extremely well integrated cohorts (with Frank Martin on keyboards and Deson X. Claiborne on drums) intimately creating a close-knit often Soft Machine-esque (Holdsworthian Bundles era) and Gong-olian (Holdsworthian Expresso era) vibe and sound.
Germain showed a strong, confident, creative presence with Pater and carries it forward in Chance, which presents a much more expansive palette for his work. I've made no secret that my all-time favorite bass player is Percy Jones (Brand X, yet another classic fusion unit) and Germain operates on that level but with a different vocabulary, funkier rather than jazzier. In the same manner, Le strongly cleaves to Holdsworth, but by way of Gary Boyle, Janne Schaeffer (old solo LPs), and, well, I hear old Harvey Mandel in his influences. Both gents get plenty of solos but never to excess, paving the way for Martin to well up…but not so much Claiborne, which is kind of a pity since the guy mans impressive traps, calling back to Phil Collins' work for the aforementioned Brand X.
Every cut here stands out, and the CD would be perfectly at home on the prog/jazz/fusion/avant-garde MoonJune label, not to mention a more progressive version of Blue Note or similarly enlightened unit (if EG were still hip, it'd fit there too, perhaps [the label never was all that much into fusion], but it halted its sincerities long ago). Nhung Bac Thang waxes Weather Reporty before slipping into Brubeck/Evans territory briefly, then Le enters in his flying saucer, and things get Frippian, buzzing and circumnavigatory, next Holdsworthian with speedy runs, and finally Carlton-ish, when that particular worthy sprints to burn (which, lord knows, he can do when he wants to), before mellowing out, going back into the main theme. The presence of Van-Anh Ho and her dan t'rung (bamboo xylophone) introduces a Tunnels tang to the song, which ends up winding down into the follower,Already Not Yet and Germain's peripatetic bass taking over.
Chops? Plenty of 'em. Surreality? Well, of course! Change-ups and constant shifts of perspective? Naturally. But, in the end, just like the later Gong and all Soft Machine incarnations, everything forwards the song each time out, and Germain wrote them specifically to play to guitarist Le's many strengths, everyone else falling in right beside him.
All About Jazz (Bruce Lindsay)
"While the quality of his playing is obvious, Germain never uses the tunes simply to demonstrate his talent—neither does he push his own instrument too far to the front of the mix. The result is a beautifully balanced recording that gives all the musicians space to play.......Before You Go demonstrates his ability as a writer and bandleader and clearly sets out his potential—it's a lovely album, imbued with talent, imagination and humanity.
All About Jazz (John Barron)
"Before You Go features Germain's technical prowess on both upright and electric bass with a stellar crew of sidemen. The disc's ten tracks-all composed by Germain-are high energy romps with exceptional soloing....Germain's compositions are lyrical, harmonically interesting and groove heavy.....Bolstered by Germain's jaw-dropping electric solo, the tune leaves one wanting more from such a dynamic configuration.....Before You Go is an exciting session deserving of wide recognition. The level of musicianship is first-rate and Germain's rousing compositional skills are a delight.""
Bass Player Magazine (Jon Herrera)
San Francisco Bay Area doubler Aaron Germain shines on "Before You Go", his debut as a leader. His rich and warm acoustic sound, courtesy a mic’d Romanian flatback, is the perfect sonic color for the album’s sophisticated contemporary jazz vibe, and he wields the electric with equal taste and panache, especially on the wickedly funky 'Deep Breath.'"
Bass Musician (Danian Erskine)
"Aaron Germain is a cross genre bassist who keeps quite busy as one of the Bay Area’s most in demand bassists. Equally adept at both the electric and upright, his playing always sounds relaxed and confident. He never sounds as if he’s trying to do anything or get anything across to the listener aside from what the music asks of him."
San Francisco Chronicle (David Weigand)
"he Bay Area's Aaron Germain has carved out a solid career as one of the busiest bassists on the jazz scene. His debut CD, "Before You Go," shows off not only his sublime proficiency on stand-up and electric bass, but also his dazzling compositional skills.
Cadence (Jason Bivens)
'Admiral Drive,' with brushes and a nice upper end pizzicato solo from Germain....Best of all was the standout track “Bellabou Baiao," a jittery piece with some terrific accordions, a great clarinet turn from Brown, and Germain’s most impressive work in his electric solo.
LA Jazz Scene (Scott Yanow)
Bassist Aaron Germain contributed all ten originals to Before You Go. His music can mostly be called post bop jazz, with unusual chord changes, a forward momentum, and room for plenty of dynamic solos. Eight of the ten numbers feature the brilliant tenor-saxophonist Sheldon Brown (whose influences range from Stan Getz to Michael Brecker), pianist Matt Clark, drummer Bryan Bowman and the virtuosic Germain in a quartet except for the swinging “Wrong Way Blues" which adds guitarist Matt Heulitt. On “Deep Breath," trombonist John Grove and vibraphonist Derek Smith are strong assets. “Bellabou Baiao" is a change of pace and a highlight since it features both Adrian Jost and Colin Hogan on accordions and Sheldon Brown switching to clarinet. The uptempo piece is worthy of Paquito D'Rivera. Aaron Germain has succeeded at creating an enjoyable set of modern jazz that is easily recommended and available from www.aarongermain.com.
Making a Scene (Jim Hynes)
This is a one-of-a-kind for this writer and maybe for any artist as the versatile Bay Area musician Aaron Germain who typically plays bass, delivers 17 compositions for guitar quartets and plays every guitar part himself. He does have accompanying musicians who appear in various configurations across the album, but he has indeed done most of the heavy lifting here, so much so that the eight-year gap since his last album Chance is explained by Germain studying the guitar quartet repertoire, writing the complex music in four parts, then learning and recording those parts on the various guitars and bass. He employs acoustic and soprano guitars, electric and upright bass, and guiro.
It helps that Germain is well-versed in many styles ranging from straight-ahead jazz and fusion to salsa, Latin Jazz, and Brazilian music. He broadened that scope for this effort by listening to Brazil’s Quarteto Maogani and Ireland’s Dublin Guitar Quartet, a contemporary ensemble inspired by Steve Reich and Philip Glass – the basis for prog rock. But the major inspiration came from buying an acoustic guitar from a German luthier, tuned down an octave and designed for chamber music settings. That same luthier made his soprano guitar, and his standard guitar was made by luthier in New Mexico. During these searches Germain was feasting his ears on classical guitar quartet music too.
Collaborators include multi-reedist Paul McCandless (Oregon), flutists Nester Torres, Chloe Jane Scott, and Mary Fettig, drummers David Rokeach, Deszon X. Claiborne, Jeff Marrs, and Celso Alberti. Percussionists are Michael Spiro, Carlos Caro, and Ami Molinelli. Most of these tunes run three to four minutes so there is little improvisation, understandable since Germain’s goal was to produce written work. In that vein, he sets the scene, develops a sketch of short story, and then quickly gets out. Astute listeners can sense his flair for improvisation, nonetheless. After all, this is an artist that has played in countless jazz settings.
The project begins with “Toitoisho,” a gentle melody dedicated to his father-in-law, played on twin soprano guitars (with a standard guitar, acoustic bass and drums) that serves as a bright opening for what follows. Immediately though he introduces an entirely different sound with “Breathmarks,” with a finely measured balance between the low and high end as flutes from Torres and Scott soar above the leaders four guitars, imbued also by Michael Spiro’s handling of cajon and guiro. The Latin feel emerges in “El Abrigo Naranja” with Carlos Caro providing the percussion. (Note: because we know that Germain is playing four guitars, we will refrain from detailing each type for fear of tedium moving forward). “Fios Cruzados,” a Brazilian track is buoyed by Marco Pereira’s pandeiro. “Galope” is another Brazilian piece, this time colored by McCandless’ soprano sax over the percolating rhythms of the Brazilian percussion team of Celso Alberti and Alex Calatayud.
McCandless is on his signature instrument, the oboe, in a duet with Germain on the electric six string bass for “Hush,” a standout track. “Dover Preach” and “Admiral Drive” reveal his dazzling work on the upright bass. Two other flute pieces appear in the second half – “Gutter Sass” with Scott and “Sublimation” with Fettig, both animated and highly melodic. The steady “Slip Task” creates some different textures with Michaelle Goerlitz on udu and bendir. Germain goes solo on the last three pieces, two of which have his usual four guitars at play. “Sky Nickel” reflects the random patterns of raindrops while the closing “SubEthos” may remind some of the other famous Oregon member, guitarist Ralph Towner’s solo work.
Rest assured this is quiet, contemplative, calming music so you need to find the right time for it. When you do, you can’t help but be struck with the brilliance of Germain’s writing and playing. He has quite a legacy too which you read about by visiting www.aarongermain.com. One of the salient things you’ll learn is that he was hired at age 19 by Yusef Lateef.
Visit Aaron's website!
