DECEMBER 2021
I had never heard of Mai until I went to see a buddy of mine (Jeff Pevar) who invited me to hear him play with David Crosby, with whom he has played with for years. He did mention that they had this wonderful Estonian woman playing bass but didn’t say much beyond that. Jeff and I are huge proponents of seeing more women in the rhythm section so I thought he was speaking more to the ‘female’ side of the equation but he was really telling me to ‘check out this basssist’
When they started to play, I thought, “wow…. this woman can really hold it down!” (as I would any great bassist really locking down the foundation of a tune and not stepping on toes in the process). Mai struck me as an incredibly solid bassist initially.. great tone and feel. Being a Crosby gig, there wasn’t much stretching beyond that at first… but she made her presence known without being overt (which I love)…. Great tasty lines and a slinky feel.. always just what the tune wanted.
And then came a tune where everybody got a little solo spotlight near the end.
SHEEESH…. Mai stole the stage (no small accomplishment considering the band on stage that night). She has chops (and knows when/when not to use them), but also has an extremely mature sense of harmony, melody and approach…. she was patient and commanding.
Researching her a little more after the gig, I was even more impressed by how diverse her musical personality is and how beautifully she handles herself in any musical setting. Check out some of these videos and do a little more digging on your own.
I played the Bass Bash this year as well and saw this set live. Mai is a badass!
A more modern jazz side to Mai’s playing
Mai’s got a lovely touch and feel on the fretless. Some nice original works!
A distinct lack of “CHECK ME OUT” in her writing. Refreshing