WHAT WAS I THINKING! – DAVE JACQUES
A pawn shop trumpet, an ancient set of Kent drums from eBay, a junk store accordion… During a career spent touring and recording with some of the world’s most-beloved singers and songwriters—including John Prine (for twenty-five years!), Emmylou Harris, Lucinda Williams, and Patty Griffin—acclaimed bassist Dave Jacques has acquired a houseful of eclectic, hand-me-down instruments. That’s not uncommon for a working musician, but what’s remarkable is that Dave has put his rag-tag collection to work. The result is his first solo record, What Was I Thinking! a wildly diverse and entertaining instrumental collection that provides Dave an opportunity to demonstrate his well-known musicality on a whole lot of non-bass instruments, from electric guitar and drums to ukuleles and tin whistles.
What Was I Thinking! recalls the 1960’s exotica recordings of Martin Denny or Arthur Lyman, though its world is comprised of both everyday destinations and exotic ones. “Sunrise Surf,” for example, sounds like an outtake from the Endless Summer soundtrack. Over layers of bongos and beach percussion, a lonely electric guitar contemplates the beginning of another day spent riding the waves.
“Zonks!” on the other hand, is a garage-rocker on which a jangly guitar hook and teen-beat leads to an organ solo that brings to mind Georgie Fame after one too many Heinekens.
On “Summer Stroll,” a gently-strummed ukulele is layered over a bossa nova-inspired beat. The song’s simple melody is stated Midnight Cowboy-style on a chromatic harmonica that Dave has had since childhood. “West Memphis Blue” is an audio bridge between the home of Booker T & the M.G.’s and its grittier neighbor across the river in Arkansas. The song features a Hammond organ, which Dave rescued from an antique mall (“All it needed was a few tubes!”).
What Was I Thinking! isn’t a travelogue, though. It’s musical references are accompanied by real emotional depth. “Requiem LJP 1009.10,” for example, is a ballad featuring a nylon-string guitar (picked up at a yard sale near Dave’s parents house) and cello. The song began life as a tribute to Dave’s late father, but it struggled to get finished. On April 7, 2020, though, Dave’s longtime employer, John Prine, passed away from COVID-19. Along with the Nashville music community, Dave was devastated. The sense of loss drove him to finish the song as a tribute to both men. The Requiem’s number, incidentally, is a reference to 10/09 and 10/10, their respective birthdays.
It bears repeating that Dave played every note on What Was I Thinking! which was recorded in his basement studio. It’s one thing to curate a collection of pre-loved instruments, but it’s something else to learn to play them convincingly. Dave accomplishes this not with hot licks or studio trickery but by staying in his lane: originality, economy, and soul! The very same things that make him an in-demand bassist.
On second thought, What Was I Thinking! isn’t so much a first for Dave as an extension of the quality musical work for which he is already famous.