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Stuart Hamm — Hold Fast
((Not on label) Guitar One no#, 2023, CD / DL)

by Henry Schneider, Published 2024-01-20

Hold Fast Cover art

Veteran bassist Stuart Hamm, who has collaborated over the years with a host of musical virtuosos from Steve Vai and Joe Satriani to Frank Gambale and Michael Schenker, has just released his eighth solo album, Hold Fast. Hamm is regarded as one of the most technically gifted bassists to have emerged out of the jazz-rock genre in the last thirty years, becoming an ambassador for virtuoso bass playing through his mastery of slap and pop techniques and his pioneering work with two handed tapping and solo bass playing. He is a master of fusion, classical, jazz, and prog rock styles, and the eight tracks on Hold Fast clearly showcase his musical chops. Enlisting his old friend Alex Skolnick (guitar), Randy McStine (lyrics), Gergo Borlai (drums), Greg Ellis (percussion), Bubby Lewis (additional bass), Andrea Whitt (pedal steel guitar), Steve Ferlazzo (keyboards), and Michael Firkins (guitar), Hamm has produced quite an exceptional album from the opening notes to the final fading chord. Hold Fast kicks off with “To Mainframe!” with its cyclic guitar patterns brining to mind Manuel Göttsching, along with some hard rock and a bit of Mellotron. Next is “Bad Year,” with its searing guitar and aggressive bass, with a hint of Al Stewart. Then Hamm presents the best track on the album “Tales of My Midwestern Youth,” with his introspective bass and Firkins’ David Gilmour guitar stylings. “Infinite” follows with its soft vocals and soothing bass. Then Hamm shifts gears with “Flotsam and Jetsam” and its tribal rhythm and more tasty bass playing. The title track is also an excellent track showcasing Hamm shredding his bass. Then he presents “We Will Rock You” (not the Queen song) with a dub rhythm that doubles in the middle. The album closes with “When This Is Over,” a funky urban tune with sax and Kevin Baker and the Sweetwater Mens Wearhouse Choir on vocals.  All in all, an excellent album to close out the old year and start the new.

Filed under: New releases, 2023 releases

Related artist(s): Randy McStine, Alex Skolnick, Stuart Hamm

More info
http://stuhamm.com/store/p/holdfast

 

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