Various Artists: Hommage á Eberhard Weber | Album Review

Tributes this effusive are usually delivered posthumously.

A stroke in 2007 may have deprived Eberhard Weber of the ability to play his instrument, but the great German bassist was very much present – and probably feeling like a man at his own funeral – in Stuttgart last January to see this starry ensemble pay homage.

Vibraphonist Gary Burton and saxophonist Jan Garbarek were among the luminaries who showed up, but in typically ambitious fashion, guitarist Pat Metheny, the starriest name of all, didn’t just show up; he brought with him the newly composed work which forms the centrepiece of this live recording.

Incorporating Weber's own solos from the archive, Hommage is more than a tribute – it breathes new life into the playing of one of the founding fathers of European jazz.

[ propermusic.com ]