(Fusion, Instrumental Jazz-Rock, Double Bass) Viktor Krauss - 2 Albums - Far From Enough & II (2004-2007) [feat. Bill Frisell, Alison Krauss, Lyle Lovett & Jerry Douglas], MP3 (tracks), 320 kbps

 

American bassist, composer
Eclectic composer and double bassist Viktor Krauss was born in Champaign, IL, in 1969. He is the brother of Alison Krauss. His youth was spent listening to soundtracks and instrumental music, eventually leading him to the piano and trumpet. After witnessing the power and girth of the double bass at a middle school concert, the budding musician began looking outside of the traditional music programs offered by the public school system. He soon played with local jazz groups and accompanying others. In high school, Krauss explored the worlds of rock, soul, and R&B and began to write material that shared these new influences, eventually leading to the study of bass, voice, electronic, and tape music at the University of Illinois.
A Zappa-esque rock unit called Difficult Listening was formed with fellow musician Sean Smith in the late '80s. The duo played locally at (mostly) university venues before disbanding in 1992, when Krauss joined progressive bluegrass pioneer Peter Rowan's Free Mexican Airforce group, where he found himself playing for Mountain Stage and Prairie Home Companion. After his tenure with Rowan, he began sixteen years of work with Lyle Lovett, touring and recording with the country icon, including contributing to recordings such as My Baby Don’t Tolerate, Step Inside This House, and the latest Natural Forces. In 1995, Viktor started a long recording and touring collaboration with Bill Frisell. Such recordings with Frisell include Nashville, Gone, Just Like a Train, Floratone, East/West, Good Dog, Happy Man, Disfarmer and The Sweetest Punch. Krauss has also been seen on stage with artists such as Carly Simon, Shelby Lynne, Chet Atkins, Larry Carlton, The Chieftains, Elvis Costello, Emmylou Harris, Jewel, Melinda Doolittle and most recently a trio consisting of Jerry Douglas, Krauss and Omar Hakim.
In between, he managed to find the time to contribute bass, guitar and/or keyboard instruments to countless recordings by the likes of Bill Frisell, Jerry Douglas, Joan Baez, Indigo Girls, Dolly Parton, Graham Nash, Michael McDonald, John Fogerty, & Alison Krauss. With credits for producing, composing, recording, and touring, Krauss finally found the time to record his solo debut, Far From Enough. Featuring an all-star band consisting of Frisell, Jerry Douglas, Steve Jordan, and sister Alison, it was released in February 2004, and peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard® Contemporary Jazz Chart. Krauss' second album, II , which featured core band Dean Parks and Matt Chamberlain and appearances by Shawn Colvin, Ben Taylor and Lovett as well as a cover of Pink Floyd's "Shine on You Crazy Diamond," emerged three years later.
In 2006, Viktor was selected as a Fellow for the prestigious Composers’ Lab at the Sundance Institute and his film credits include three compositions in Ken Burns’ documentary Baseball: The Tenth Inning, composing credits for the films Twister, Robert Altman’s Dr. T. and the Women and the independent film, Dodge City. Also, songs from his records are featured in the documentaries I Hear Thunder, & The Oasis Project.
The song “Lie Awake” by Viktor, co-written with singer-songwriter Angel Snow, will appear on the Alison Krauss + Union Station April 12th release of Paper Airplane. Two additional songs (“A Place Outside” and “These Days”) also penned by Krauss and Snow will appear on special editions of Paper Airplane.
Krauss is an active producer. He is currently producing recordings by Clay Evans, Angel Snow and Mike Willis. Past credits have included Americana artist Jason White’s Shades of Grey and Tonight’s Top Story for which the arrangement of the controversial “Red Ragtop” was covered by Tim McGraw. Other projects have included soft-rock artist Michael Johnson, acid-jazz guitarist Jack Silverman as well as specific songs for or with Alison Krauss.
Viktor performs his original music regularly with his band consisting of Robert Crawford (Drums), Todd Lombardo (acoustic guitar), and Steve Walsh (electric guitar). Other band configurations have included musicians Matt Chamberlain, Dean Parks, Adam Levy, Mitch Watkins, Jack Silverman, Jim White, Steve Kovalcheck and Tim Young.
http://www.viktorkrauss.com/

I spent most of the morning flipping between one disc and the next, restless for something that actually fit my mood. I just didn't want to, you know, as they say, deal and nothing particularly appealed to me.
On days like this, I tend to gather up a pretty disparate grouping of artists to accompany me to work because, well, I just never quite know what I'm going to be in the mood for. Today, I've got noisy accompaniment from one end of the spectrum (Meshuggah, Isis, Melvins, Dillinger Escape Plan) and I stretch all the way to the other end of that spectrum—Dave Douglas, Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey, Bill Frisell, Charlie Hunter. In between you'll find some Rollins Band, Pixies, Talking Heads, Husker Du, Bjork, and Jeff Buckley. Salvation, I found, laid more toward one end than the other in the form of Viktor Krauss' Far From Enough.
Essentially, this is the best Bill Frisell album he himself didn't release. Oh, sure, he plays on it, and it's almost certianly created with his remarkable sound in mind, but it's still led by bassist Krauss—who, it just so happens, backs up Frisell on his releases from time to time and oh, by the way, the album also happens to have Jerry Douglas, playing too many stringed-guitar-type instruments to list, who has also appeared on some of Frisell's work.
It may well have been Krauss' baby, but Frisell took center stage here, as each tune was clearly derived from Frisell's mid-1990s post-bluegrass Americana. In a way, it was the best thing featuring Frisell had done in a while.
That yearning quality in Frisell's guitar still sweeps me away. It's a sound, as heard on the above cover of Robert Plant's “Big Log" also featuring vocalist Allison Krauss, that Frisell pioneered and that everyone seems to want to emulate—but can't.
By Tom Johnson - http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/news.php?id=82044

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All compositions by Viktor Krauss, except where noted
Produced by Lee Townsend
Recorded and mixed Jason Lehning
Recorded at Sound Emporium and Brown Cloud, Nashwille

track 1
Viktor Krauss bass, electric piano
Jerry Douglas lap steel guitar
Bill Frisell electric guitars
Steve Jordan drums
track 2
Viktor Krauss bass, vocals
Jerry Douglas dobro
Bill Frisell electric guitars
Steve Jordan drums
Alison Krauss vocals
track 3
Viktor Krauss bass, vocals
Jerry Douglas weissenborn
Bill Frisell electric guitars
Steve Jordan drums
Alison Krauss vocals
track 4
Viktor Krauss bass, electric guitar, Sustainer guitar, vocals
Jerry Douglas dobro
Bill Frisell electric guitars
Steve Jordan drums
track 5
Viktor Krauss bass, bass drum
Jerry Douglas dobro
Bill Frisell electric guitar
Alison Krauss vocals
track 6
Viktor Krauss bass, vocals
Jerry Douglas lap steel guitar
Bill Frisell electric guitar
Steve Jordan drums
Alison Krauss vocals
track 7
Viktor Krauss basses
Bill Frisell electric guitar
track 8
Viktor Krauss bass
Jerry Douglas lap steel guitar
Bill Frisell electric guitars, Sustainer guitar
Steve Jordan drums
track 9
Viktor Krauss bass, effects
Jerry Douglas dobro
Bill Frisell electric guitar
track 10
Viktor Krauss bass, arco bass
Jerry Douglas lap steel guitar
Bill Frisell electric guitar
Steve Jordan drums
Alison Krauss vocals
track 11
Viktor Krauss bass
Jerry Douglas lap steel guitar
Bill Frisell electric guitars
Steve Jordan drums
track 12
Viktor Krauss bass, arco bass
Jerry Douglas lap steel guitar
Bill Frisell electric & acoustic guitars
Steve Jordan drums, conga
Alison Krauss vocals

 

American bassist, composer
Eclectic composer and double bassist Viktor Krauss was born in Champaign, IL, in 1969. He is the brother of Alison Krauss. His youth was spent listening to soundtracks and instrumental music, eventually leading him to the piano and trumpet. After witnessing the power and girth of the double bass at a middle school concert, the budding musician began looking outside of the traditional music programs offered by the public school system. He soon played with local jazz groups and accompanying others. In high school, Krauss explored the worlds of rock, soul, and R&B and began to write material that shared these new influences, eventually leading to the study of bass, voice, electronic, and tape music at the University of Illinois.
A Zappa-esque rock unit called Difficult Listening was formed with fellow musician Sean Smith in the late '80s. The duo played locally at (mostly) university venues before disbanding in 1992, when Krauss joined progressive bluegrass pioneer Peter Rowan's Free Mexican Airforce group, where he found himself playing for Mountain Stage and Prairie Home Companion. After his tenure with Rowan, he began sixteen years of work with Lyle Lovett, touring and recording with the country icon, including contributing to recordings such as My Baby Don’t Tolerate, Step Inside This House, and the latest Natural Forces. In 1995, Viktor started a long recording and touring collaboration with Bill Frisell. Such recordings with Frisell include Nashville, Gone, Just Like a Train, Floratone, East/West, Good Dog, Happy Man, Disfarmer and The Sweetest Punch. Krauss has also been seen on stage with artists such as Carly Simon, Shelby Lynne, Chet Atkins, Larry Carlton, The Chieftains, Elvis Costello, Emmylou Harris, Jewel, Melinda Doolittle and most recently a trio consisting of Jerry Douglas, Krauss and Omar Hakim.
In between, he managed to find the time to contribute bass, guitar and/or keyboard instruments to countless recordings by the likes of Bill Frisell, Jerry Douglas, Joan Baez, Indigo Girls, Dolly Parton, Graham Nash, Michael McDonald, John Fogerty, & Alison Krauss. With credits for producing, composing, recording, and touring, Krauss finally found the time to record his solo debut, Far From Enough. Featuring an all-star band consisting of Frisell, Jerry Douglas, Steve Jordan, and sister Alison, it was released in February 2004, and peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard® Contemporary Jazz Chart. Krauss' second album, II , which featured core band Dean Parks and Matt Chamberlain and appearances by Shawn Colvin, Ben Taylor and Lovett as well as a cover of Pink Floyd's "Shine on You Crazy Diamond," emerged three years later.
In 2006, Viktor was selected as a Fellow for the prestigious Composers’ Lab at the Sundance Institute and his film credits include three compositions in Ken Burns’ documentary Baseball: The Tenth Inning, composing credits for the films Twister, Robert Altman’s Dr. T. and the Women and the independent film, Dodge City. Also, songs from his records are featured in the documentaries I Hear Thunder, & The Oasis Project.
The song “Lie Awake” by Viktor, co-written with singer-songwriter Angel Snow, will appear on the Alison Krauss + Union Station April 12th release of Paper Airplane. Two additional songs (“A Place Outside” and “These Days”) also penned by Krauss and Snow will appear on special editions of Paper Airplane.
Krauss is an active producer. He is currently producing recordings by Clay Evans, Angel Snow and Mike Willis. Past credits have included Americana artist Jason White’s Shades of Grey and Tonight’s Top Story for which the arrangement of the controversial “Red Ragtop” was covered by Tim McGraw. Other projects have included soft-rock artist Michael Johnson, acid-jazz guitarist Jack Silverman as well as specific songs for or with Alison Krauss.
Viktor performs his original music regularly with his band consisting of Robert Crawford (Drums), Todd Lombardo (acoustic guitar), and Steve Walsh (electric guitar). Other band configurations have included musicians Matt Chamberlain, Dean Parks, Adam Levy, Mitch Watkins, Jack Silverman, Jim White, Steve Kovalcheck and Tim Young.
http://www.viktorkrauss.com/

Thanks to his dexterity and vision on multiple stringed instruments, Krauss is kind of a musical everyman who has recorded and performed with Bill Frisell and Lyle Lovett (both of whom appear on II) plus Chet Atkins, Emmylou Harris, Elvis Costello and The Chieftains. His solo debut, Far From Enough (Nonesuch, 2004), made it up to #6 on the Contemporary Jazz charts and featured contributions from guitarist Frisell and Allison Kraus (Viktor's sister) on viola and vocals.
Armed with various electric and acoustic guitars, keyboards and basses, Krauss bunkered down in his home studio in Nashville with session aces Dean Parks (electric and acoustic guitars) and Matt Chamberlain (drums, percussion, programming) to record II, and finished this project at studios in Los Angeles. These two geographic points of reference place this sophomore effort nicely in context. It is extremely well-played, with subtle hints of country, jazz and blues, especially when Frisell and Lovett share the spotlight. Frisell's guitar and especially Lovett's lead vocal inhabit like ghosts the floating blues "(I Could Have Been Your) Best Friend. Lovett's vocal burns slow yet deep, intense from being so quietly rendered, relishing his emotional pain and feeding it back into his heart to fuel its anger. "Lyle can do the nasty delivery really well, deadpans Krauss.
The instrumental "Pinky Ring launches in a different direction. Krauss polishes blues guitar licks into an edgy space-age sheen then floats them skyward until they seem to scrape against the atmosphere; this combined blues/psychedelic guitar sound seems to honor the trademark sound of David Gilmour, Pink Floyd's guitarist. Krauss' instrumental rearrangement of Floyd's "Shine on You Crazy Diamond, especially transposing its celestial coda into its introduction, works much more effectively than does Shawn Colvin's attendant, thin vocal.
Most of II, although pleasant enough to hear, sort of just floats by without effect or impact, like it's waiting for something else to happen ("Last Book and "Eyes in the Heat, featuring classical Indian vocalist Shweta Jhaveri, were in fact originally composed as film scores, and sound like it). It sounds great, but doesn't always deliver a rewarding listen.
By CHRIS M. SLAWECKI - http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=25239

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All compositions by Viktor Krauss, except 4), 6), 8)
Produced by Lee Townsend
Recording and mixing engineer: Jason Lehning
Recorded at Sunset Sound Factory, Los Angeles
p&© 2007 The Blue Note Label Group® is a registered trademark of
Capitol Records Inc.

track 1
Viktor Krauss electric bass, nylon string bass, Fender Rhodes, Celeste, synthesizers, electric guitar
Dean Parks acoustic and electric guitars, Sustainer guitar
Matt Chamberlain drums, electronic percussion, shaker
track 2
Viktor Krauss acoustic bass, Wurlitzer, organ, piano, electric guitars
Dean Parks acoustic and electric guitars
Matt Chamberlain drums, shaker
track 3
Viktor Krauss acoustic bass, Arco bass, celeste, synthesizers, nylon and high-strung guitars
Dean Parks electric guitars, Sustainer guitar, nylon-string guitars
Matt Chamberlain drums, electronic percussion, gamelan keys
Shweta Jhaveri vocals
track 4
Viktor Krauss electric bass, electric & acoustic guitars, Sustainer guitar, Wurlitzer, synthesizers
Dean Parks acoustic and electric guitars
Matt Chamberlain drums, electronic percussion
Ben Taylor vocals
track 5
Viktor Krauss acoustic bass, Wurlitzer, organ, synthesizer, wah-wah electric guitar
Dean Parks electric guitars, cimbus
Matt Chamberlain drums, electronic percussion
track 6
Viktor Krauss acoustic bass, Wurlitzer, synthesizer, Sustainer guitar, acoustic bass
Dean Parks electric guitars
Matt Chamberlain drums, shaker
Bill Frisell electric guitar
Lyle Lovett vocals
track 7
Viktor Krauss acoustic bass, electric & acoustic guitars, Wurlitzer, piano
Dean Parks acoustic and electric guitars, Sustainer guitar
Matt Chamberlain drums, shaker
Shweta Jhaveri vocals
track 8
Viktor Krauss acoustic bass, celeste, Fender Rhodes, organ, synthesizer
Dean Parks acoustic and electric guitars, Weissenborn slide guitars
Matt Chamberlain drums
Shawn Colvin vocals
track 9
Viktor Krauss acoustic bass, Wurlitzer, synthesizers, electric guitars
Dean Parks acoustic guitars, slide guitar
Matt Chamberlain drums, electronic percussion, tabla
Bill Frisell wah-wah filter electric guitar
track 10
Viktor Krauss acoustic bass, Arco bass, acoustic guitars, synthesizers, Wurlitzer, spatula
Dean Parks acoustic guitars
Matt Chamberlain drums
Shweta Jhaveri vocals