In the beginning, there was George.

George Koller is a multi-instrumentalist best known as a bass player – one of the most in-demand bassists in Canada. In the spring 2014, George came to Whitehorse for a “jazz reunion” and I accidentally started recording this album.

My frequent local music collaborators Ken Searcy (drums), and Daniel Janke (piano and more) had both worked professionally with George, though in different cities and at different times.  In 2014, George was on a tour in western Canada with a few “dark days” in the middle, so he detoured to Whitehorse to put on a trio concert with his old friends.

And I plotted.

I had experimented with singing vocal/bass duos with my friend Anne Turner here in Whitehorse, and had also had the chance to collaborate with the amazing Jodi Proznick at a concert in Vancouver. I have always loved the sound of the bass and I found I loved the openness and freedom of singing with just a bass player along for the ride.

When I heard he was coming, I asked George if he would be interested in recording a few tracks with me while he was in town, and he readily agreed.  So we got together one day at Daniel Janke’s beautiful studio (where Bedroom Voice was recorded) and recorded four tracks.

George was a perfect dream to work with! He was immensely generous with his time and dove in with his full creative energy.  He doesn’t simply play the bass; he communes with it and it dances and sings and growls. He plays the body of the instrument and vocalizes with it. He switches from bow to plucking and back, as mood dictates. George and his bass are a seamless musical medium.

I’m still making final decisions, but of the four tracks we recorded, two or three will be on the album, including an original called “Just a Little Dance”. While I was in Toronto, I had the opportunity to shoot a video of that song with George and I hope to have that to share with you soon.

Thanks, George, for sharing your colossal talent, and your huge heart. I'm looking forward to playing with you again soon!

More George here: georgekoller.com