Rob Thorsen is a renowned bass player in the San Diego, Los Angeles, and Palm Springs area. I should emphasize this because his latest album isn’t an album that puts him in the spotlight with overlong solos or an over-exposure of his love for his instrument. And that’s just what makes Moon Ray so worthwhile. Rob Thorsen acts as a band leader giving more than enough room to showcase the talents of his band members: Randy Porter (piano), Duncan Moore (drums), Gilbert Castellanos (trumpet on three songs) and Allan Phillips (percussion on In Xingjiang Time). Something that reminds me of another bassist, Curtis Lundy. In fact, Rob - like Curtis - feels comfortable to swing with his fellow musicians instead of exhibiting gymnastic virtuosity. Like Rob mentions in the liner notes “Without mutual respect and complete trust of each other the music can never achieve a state of ‘oneness’. The great musical groups share this quality and this is what I have always strived for, like the give and take of a conversation that ultimately knows no boundaries.”
Moon Ray is like a conversation with an old and dear friend with whom you feel at ease and can talk about everything. It sounds familiar yet you can discover new aspects with each close listening.
There’s only one original composition (Mud Puppies) but that’s not crucial here because Rob didn’t include tried and tested songs only which we’ve heard umpteenth times. He even included a chinese folk song, In Xingjiang Time, in an impressive arrangement.
The title track, Artie Shaw’s Moon Ray gets redone with a nice latin touch with Gilbert Castellanos on trumpet. Rob’s tribute to the bassist Oscar Pettiford, Bohemia After Dark, is another moving piece of music. The band’s version of Hoagy Carmichael’s old chestnut Stardust is adapted in a more traditional way making this a late hour favourite.
Actually there isn’t a poor track on Moon Ray. The playing is always flawless and inspiring which makes this album perfect for listening to it from beginning to end and over again. Highly recommendable if you’re looking for music that finds its players in heartfelt communication.

Tracklisting of Moon Ray: 1. Moon Ray/ 2. Eiderdown/ 3. Mud Puppies/ 4. Chelsea Bridge/ 5. Bye Ya/ 6. Bohemia After Dark/ 7. Stardust/ 8. In Xinjiang Time/ 9. Baubles, Bangles, and Beads | released 2005 Bass-man Records

For more infos visit robthorsen.com and cdbaby.com.

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