💿 ALBUM REVIEW: Jon Hamar – Musica Callada

Jon Hamar’s Música Callada, released through Origin Classical, is a stunning, rainy day listen that beautifully blurs the lines between classical depth and jazz freedom. The album centers around a lush adaptation of Frederic Mompou’s piano meditations, embellishing the traditional piano work with Hamar bringing double bass to the forefront. The result is an incredibly relaxed, thoughtful, and spacious record that breathes naturally from start to finish. True to its translated title of “silent music,” this release is not about heavy tension, but restraint, space, and the beauty of the quiet moments between the notes. Pianist, Adrienne Fontenot pairs up with Hamar here, playing with an incredibly soft, sensitive touch that perfectly complements the woody, resonant ring of Hamar’s bowed bass and the natural decay of the room.

The heart of the album is a nine-part exploration of Mompou’s work, where Hamar sonically wraps around Fontenot’s gentle piano touch. Opener, Angelico set a tender, almost sacred mood right off the bat, while Lent and Afflitto e Penoso dive into darker, more melancholy territory where the double bass really shines. The duo even packs a massive amount of emotion into short statements like Semplice. Once the release moves past the Mompou pieces, Hamar opens things up to more modern, improvisational pieces. Winter Crow, written by David P. Jones, is a sensitive composition building slowly, creating the expansion of a cinematic winter landscape.

This is backed by another Jones composition, Song of the Lighthouse, which leans into a fluid, rolling dialogue between the two musicians. Fluid bass lead, coaxed along by Fontenot really is clean. I particularly like Bach To Blues with deep classical and blues roots, blended nicely in stark quiet. Lazy Dragon has a warm melody, led by Hamar and supported by Fontenot on piano. It’s a mesmerizing composition with excellent composure. Wrapping the release, Mosaic integrates the calmness of the release with the complexity of concept. Very nice.  Ultimately, Música Callada is a quiet triumph that rewards patient, close listening. It takes a massive instrument like the double bass—which is so often relegated to the background—and lets it sing with incredible warmth, vulnerability, and melodic clarity. Supported by the International Society of Bassists, it is a strong recording that captures every nuance of the performance.