Consider It! by Cole Davis

Consider It! is out in full on September 26th

Produced by Ryan Olson
Artwork by Eric Timothy Carlson

With his debut album Consider It!, Cole Davis—one of the most versatile upright bassists of his generation—showcases the instrument as a collaborative voice. Produced by Ryan Olson of Poliça, Consider It! is a mix of instrumentals and co-writes with vocalists, including Bon Iver (you can hear Davis’ bass on “Everything Is Peaceful Love”), Channy Leaneagh of Poliça and Papa Mbye.

Together, Davis and Olson use processed and acoustic sounds to let the bass become the storyteller. Cole leads an innovative group of improvisors, and his composed pieces are performed by violinist Tim Fain (“Cultivating New Frontiers in Carpentry”) and trumpeter CJ Camerieri of yMusic (“Gulls”). The moody struggle of “I Want You Gone” has sheets of pushy vocals by Justin Vernon of Bon Iver laying atop a bed of Davis’s upright bass, Bryan Nichol’s piano and Julian Lage’s guitar. The album closes with the song “Miracle” featuring Poliça’s Channy Leaneagh’s hauntingly honest voice over upright bass chords and French horn harmonies.

The upright bassist for Lambchop, Cole holds two degrees from Julliard and has been part of the New York City jazz circuit for many years and is a prolific educator with several books to his name, most notably The New Simandi. He inherited a solid work ethic from his father, trombonist Michael Davis, who toured with the Rolling Stones and recorded extensively with Frank Sinatra. “Since I was old enough to remember, my dad made records, and spent a year or two on each project,” says Davis. “His dedication to making music was instilled in me from a young age, and you can definitely hear it on this album.”