How do you give back to those who paved the way for you? That is the question that Queens-based bassist Trifon Dimitrov attempted to answer while working his way up the ladder to becoming a renowned player.
Dimitrov came up with the idea for the album “Forefathers” because he wanted to give back to the bassists Oscar Pettiford, Ron Carter and Paul Chambers. Dimitrov wanted to say thank you to those who came before him in his own words, “because he has been given so much support and love by his predecessors.”
“For a long time, I felt the urge to somehow simply give a thank you to the forefathers, to those who were before us and who invented this art form, jazz bass playing,” said Dimitrov. “I’ve met quite a few of the legends, living legends, and they’re so generous and such beautiful people.”
The project took him a few years to come up with songs and get the artists to play together. In regard to creating the album, it took him the longest to choose the songs on the album. The album features 11 tracks with some of the songs from Pettiford, Carter and Chambers.
“There is so much great music written by bass players. It was so hard to select what would work with what and each other’s sounds,” said Dimitrov. “I didn’t just want to throw songs together.”
Throughout “Forefathers,” Dimitrov walks the bass through multiple eras of time. For the album, Dimitrov was able to work his technical expertise and convey emotion while tugging the strings and slapping the bass. He was present in creating the sound for the album and creates others with making things very easy for him. Dimitrov went on to say it isn’t difficult to create the album but more difficult to keep the heartbeat, tempo and rhythm with other artists.
Dimitrov told amNewYork that playing alongside Carter, on a recording of Carter’s “Little Waltz,” was a highlight of the album.
“I honestly didn’t expect that it would be so relaxed, so enjoyable and so productive. To no surprise, he was super hospitable, first of all, and welcoming,” said Dimitrov. “We recorded at his apartment, which was a phenomenal experience, and he was very welcoming, warm, and my home is your home; I felt at home, and it was so great to be next to him.”
Dimitrov dedicated the album, first and foremost, to his mother and all of the women who helped him in life, but also to bassists everywhere. He hopes that those who listen to “Forefathers” will be able to appreciate the past and where current music came from.
“I hope that people who listen go back and dig more into the art that was invented before us and never forget what has been, what has come before us,” said Dimitrov.
“Forefathers” is available for purchase on Dimitrov’s website, trifonbass.com.
