Nate Sabat: Durango Bluegrass Meltdown

with the Tray Wellington Band

The upright bass and the human voice. Two essential musical instruments, one with roots in 15th century Europe, the other as old as humanity itself.

On Bass Fiddler (Adhyâropa Records), the debut album from singer-songwriter and bassist Nate Sabat, the scope is narrowed down a bit. Drawing from the rich and thriving tradition of American folk music, Sabat delivers expertly-crafted original songs and choice covers with the upright bass as his lone tool for accompaniment. His bass playing — while rooted in folk music — goes far beyond any preconceived notions of the instrument’s role within the genre. With a relaxed, vocal sound and equal fluency with pizzicato and the bow, Nate takes full advantage of the never-ending variety of sounds and textures the bass has to offer. GRAMMY-winning cellist Eugene Friesen says, "Nate has so much going for him: The ability to propel any groove with chops and subtlety, a sweet bow sound that can vocalize any melody, fiercely great intonation, and, most importantly, a musical intelligence and intuition that operates with a constant smile.”