seeds of happiness, New Albion

seeds of happiness file cover

the music for the “seeds of happiness” was composed in 2005 as an effort to further the boundaries of the electric bass as a solo instrument in terms of style and setting in reliance upon the bass’s ability to convey thematic material and function in an austere and still environment. the work brings to the listener sound and silence at times in equal measure and without the restriction of tempo. its source is a reflection on the work of many masters and the void that faces us. its aim is beauty

track listing:
part one
  1. on awakening
  2. stillness
  3. shimmering
  4. rift
  5. certainty
  6. a radiance
  7. clouds like choirs
  8. four vistas
  9. labor and breath
  10. forms, shapes, and silences
  11. will without reason
  12. revealed

part two

  1. forgiveness
  2. episode of beauty
  3. exultation
  4. night
  5. three notes of reverence
  6. devotion and dance
  7. the nature of solitude
  8. theme taken from a master
  9. emanations
  10. reflections of a small room
  11. the sacred nature of despair
  12. beginnings and afterwards
  13. invocation
  14. fulfillment
credits:
all music arranged and composed by: jeffrey roden
electric bass: jeffrey roden
recorded and mixed by: john “tokes” potoker
produced by: steve roden
mastered by: william cooke
track samples:
beginnings and afterwards:
a radiance:

REVIEWS

Bass Player Magazine: “The concise compositions combined with absolutely flawless performances make it a beautiful record”

The Wire magazine: “Armed with a mighty 1961 Fender Precision bass guitar that has been plugged into an Ampeg Rocket bass amplifier, Los Angeles bass player Jeffrey Roden explores the complex (almost mathematical) intricacies of an instrument that is usually associated with rock music. Roden’s more subtle approach is just as strident, but the music he drags out of his bass is almost Fahey-like in its approach, as it melancholically rumbles overhead like distant thunder and allows resonating notes to hang in the air. Consisting of 12 ‘Themes’, Seeds Of Happiness Part 1 (Roden’s fourth CD) was recorded live in the studio with minimal overdubbing, a technique that has brought a satisfyingly giant buzz of freshness to the project.

Audiophile Auditions: “In a Silent Way sessions but without Miles or any front line at all. You could sort of conjure up the upper melodic line in your mind while listening, and the same is true of Seeds of Happiness. It can be a fascinating exercise.”