Ben Wolfe: The Whisperer

Perhaps bass players so often make good leaders because they are accustomed to serving the music. Even monsters like Mingus, Dave Holland and Christian McBride have been more interested in calling attention to the ensemble than to themselves.

Ben Wolfe rarely occupies the foreground on his new album. If you didn’t look at the cover, you wouldn’t guess that The Whisperer is the bassist’s project. This ensemble sounds selfless and organic. Wolfe does imprint his personality, but from within.