ROLE Kaveh Rastegar Parlays His Versatility Into An Auspicious Solo Debut
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By Chris Jisi
IS
there a more versatile, all-in bass player than Kaveh Rastegar? Since arriving in Los Angeles in 1999, Rastegar has defined the modern session bassist: He’s a doubler who has provided bottom on recordings ranging from Meshell Ndegeocello and Shania Twian to Beck and Charlie Puth, as well as film soundtracks and jingles (including an appearance in La La Land); he’s a composer who has written for Ndegeocello, Bruno Mars, Ciara, and Cee Lo Green; and he’s a producer for Sabrina Claudio, Dawn Richard, and De La Soul (for
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whom he also wrote and played bass). Then there’s his recently concluded, 18-year run wearing all of those hats in the forefront jazz unit Kneebody, and his longtime role in John Legend’s band. With that much musical impact on other people’s projects, it was only a matter of time before Kaveh released his solo debut. Light of Love is a sonic tapestry full of fervent grooves, abundant vocal hooks, and ingenious bass orchestrations via his ’64 Fender Precision and acoustic bass. Key to the 12-track disc’s uber-contemporary sound is the way it was written and produced, through free-form jam sessions, post-jam collabora-
