Mosaic: The Music of Gregg Hill

To paraphrase iconic soul vocalist James Brown's shout-outs to his drummers, give the bassist some — if it's Rodney Whitaker. As is the case with rhythmic instruments, including drums, playing the upright double bass doesn't often result in celebrity. But the 57-year-old Detroit native has crafted a prolific 40-year recording career as a session musician and a leader, including on his latest release, Mosaic: The Music of Gregg Hill (Origin), It's the fourth album in a series of Whitaker releases saluting Hill, a veteran jazz pianist and composer from East Lansing, Michigan, who befriended members of the Michigan State University jazz faculty, including Whitaker.

On "Still Life With Tuba," vocalist Rockelle Whitaker sings harmonized lines with pianist Rick Roe prior to his stellar solo, and trumpeter Terell Stafford and saxophonist Tim Warfield likewise provide harmony amid strutting figures by Whitaker and drummer Dana Hall. Until two-thirds of the way through the six-minute song, that is, when Hall breaks into a solo - seemingly out of nowhere - that recalls the creativity and muscle of Art Blakey. Hill is a self-taught musician and composer
who had no previous exposure or experience in the music industry before Whitaker, the workmanlike bassist and educator, brought his works to life.