Edgar Meyer is a musician whose chops have been called transcendent and unrivaled and it’s possible yours truly pulls CDs off the rack and exclaims, “Ooh, Edgar Meyer!” before spending entirely too much money at Amoeba.
A musical master of everything from the mandolin to the viola de gamba, Meyer plucks the double bass from quivering obscurity and propels it into the spotlight. Called “the most remarkable virtuoso in the relatively unchronicled history of his instrument” by The New Yorker, Meyer is generally hailed as the best bassist alive. So you’ll probably want to come hear him, especially if you have a predilection for the obscure - the double bass is rarely played solo.
Joining NCCO’s other stellar musicians in its season opener, Meyers performs Giovanni Bottesini’s Concerto for String Bass (and Rossini and Mahler) with his much-lauded nimble fingers. Nimble is possibly too flip a descriptor for hands that might be more accurately termed “humbling in their ability to defy the laws of speed and physics.” You can never have too many superlatives when it comes to Meyers. Hey, The New Yorker agrees.
September 25, 8 p.m. Herbst Theater, 401 Van Ness Ave. Tickets are $29-49. Tickets at cityboxoffice.com. Additional dates in Berkeley and San Rafael.
