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F. Vattel Cherry is the founder of Vattel Cherry's Bassrespänse, a collective of four improvising double bassist/composers. Their first recorded effort was an interpretation of Strange Fruit for a Billie Holiday tribute CD produced by the Baltimore CityPaper.

Vattel has studied with bassists Linda McKnight, Keter Betts and Fred Hopkins. He has worked with many brilliant musicians including, Charles Gayle, Brother Ah (Robert Northern) , John Tchicai, William Parker, David Murray's Big Band, Cecil Taylor's PTHONGOS and Charli Persip's Superband. On over a dozen CD's as a sideman, Vattel has two CD's as a leader, Is it because I'm Black and For Those Who Heal.

Bassrespänse
   Vattel Cherry (bass)
   Alan Lewine (bass)
   Jane Wang (bass)
   David Kaczorowski (bass)
   with special guests:
   Marjani Dele (vocals)
   Benjamin Tomassett (alto saxophone)
   Daniel Powell (tenor saxophone)

From Vattel Cherry and his thunderous double bass choir, this self titled cd soars with the possibilities for new beginnings.  The recording is not only unique in concept, but also worth owning for the purity of spirit in the music...a gift rarely heard.  Comes highly recommended.

8 tracks in 68:45 minutes.

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Liner Notes
Prologue
In 1822, a prosperous free ex-slave named Denmark Vessey led a failed slave revolt in Charleston, South Carolina. With apparently everything to loose, including his own life, and nothing to gain, few understood his motivations. During his eloquent self defense at his trial, Vessey is reported to have said, "Men must not only be dissatisfied; they must be so dissatisfied they will act."
Call
To understand this music, it is necessary to understand the motivations of a leader like Vattel Cherry. It is simply not enough to be dissatisfied or believe in what hasn’t been attempted, you must be audacious enough to put out the call to all like-minded people in the hopes of forming a contrabass quartet.
Response
Answer: bassists Jane Wang, Alan Lewine, and David Kaczorowski. From four different points on the Northeast coast they assembled; four like-minded musicians determined to form a movement, begin a rebellion. They came with hearts’ on fire, each with a dissatisfaction, each with a hunger, each with a passion.
Evidence
Eight original compositions, some individual, some collective; driven by imagination, moving with a beat, sacrificing the individual for the sound of the whole. The quartet writes and performs music that frees the soul, moves the mind to wonder at possibilities, but most of all, sings hymns of exaltation in these most needy of times. The quartet takes brief respite and welcomes the listener to another dimension in listening when joined on two tracks by sympathetic rebels, Marjanie Dele on vocals, Benjamin Tomassetti on alto saxophone, and Daniel Powell on tenor saxophone.

Victor Hugo once said, "Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent." So too on this recording, Vattel Cherry and the members of bassrespänse are expressing that which cannot be said and on which one cannot remain silent. The statement is irrepressible. The evidence is clear. There is much to hope for. And, for a brief 68 minutes, one can be thankful that Vattel Cherry was so dissatisfied he decided to act.

Philip R. Egert

September 30, 2000