Petros Klampanis - Rooftop Stories (2021)

Back in 2017, Petros Klampanis began a series of solo bass videos called Rooftop Stories. (We premiered the first video of “Footprints”.) It was the same year he released his first large ensemble record, Chroma, which he then followed up with 2019’s Irrationalities. But as 2020 evolved into a year of isolation and darkness, the bassist found glimmers of light creating his fifth album, Rooftop Stories, which pare his palette back down to himself and his bass.

“It’s a project that combines traveling and my fetish with the rooftops and cinematography,” he explained. “And since I cannot play with other people during the pandemic, I felt that this is the right moment to record this album. I always wanted to do it. But now was a good opportunity.”

Klampanis recorded the ten-song collection in a studio in Athens, Greece with just his upright bass and a Boss looping device. All sounds come from the bass, his hands, and his voice. That is on full display on the album opener, “Smile”, which he sets up with a loop of harmonics and percussion. After playing the melody, he adds a vocal background to solo over. Keen ears will hear the influence of Jaco Pastorius.

“Jaco is one of, if not the biggest, influences on me,” Klampanis notes. “He was an amazing groover and maybe the best electric bassist ever. But his sound on soloing, I think, has had a huge impact on all melodic bass players.”