Björn Meyer | Solo Bass Performer
six-string electric bass-guitar
“A single note, played on a left alone instrument, changed my life. The instrument was an electric bass and I was a hobby guitarist just turning 18 off to study computer science. That one note resonated with the very core of my being and opened up a musical universe I had only dreamt of before. In an instant everything focused on music and exploring all I could about the bass. Five years later I finished my degree, took a break from computers and went on tour with my first working band. That was 1989 and I never turned back.
My first overseas tour was for the Havana Jazz Festival 1990 with an Afro-Cuban jazz band. Nothing could have prepared me for the intensity of those concerts and encounters. A few years later I had toured most of the US with a singer songwriter, spent months doing studio work in New York - where I also found the bass I have been playing since 1995. I had played flamenco all over Europe and was figuring out how to integrate the electric bass in Swedish folk music. To this day, I am still discovering new depths of the instrument that made me dedicate my life to music - the electric bass.”
Biography: “electric bass in acoustic space”
Born in Sweden and based in Switzerland since 1996, Björn Meyer is acclaimed for his category-defying musicianship, expanding the sonic and expressive possibilities of the electric bass. His pivotal ECM solo album Provenance (2017), produced by Manfred Eicher, reimagines the instrument in dialogue with acoustic spaces — what Meyer describes as a “second member” in his solo performances. The album has taken him to audiences worldwide, from the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg and Ronnie Scott’s in London to Istanbul, Yokohama, Tehran, and beyond.
“.. Meyer has taken a unique approach to composition for solo bass guitar. It is one that will move the instrument forward as much as it will move the listener emotionally.” - John Marley, Jazz Views
Alongside his solo career, Meyer has forged long-lasting collaborations across diverse musical landscapes. He has worked extensively with Tunisian oud master Anouar Brahem and, for three decades, shaped contemporary Swedish folk music with Bazar Blå. He leads the intercultural ensemble Garden of Silence, co-founded the Swiss quartet NEN, and continues to be active in projects with Afghan German singer Simin Tander, English trumpet player Tom Arthurs, Iranian kamancheh-player Misagh Jolaee and guitarist Mahan Mirarab, American harpist Park Stickney and many others.
Meyer was a defining force in Nik Bärtsch’s Ronin, contributing to the first seven albums and over a decade of international touring, and has maintained an enduring creative partnership with Swiss composer and musician Don Li.
Honoured with the Swiss Music Prize (2019) and the Canton Bern Music Prize (2018), Meyer continues to redefine the voice of the electric bass across cultures, genres, and traditions.
Press:
“There are few bass players working with the breadth, scope, energy and beauty of Swedish-born Björn Meyer. Convergence is Meyer’s second “solo” album for ECM after working as a key contributor with bands led by Anouar Brahem, Nik Bärtsch and other notables. Solo is in quotes because Meyer — along with producer Manfred Eicher — uses overdubs and studio effects so brilliantly. “Convergence,” the title tune, is a delight of groove with intricate overdubbing employed to make this singular artist sound like a full-on band. “Hiver” follows, and what a beautiful lullaby. The bass is not often thought of as a melodic instrument, but in Meyer’s hands his acoustic and electric six-string instruments melt your heart with his meditative, thoughtful phrasing. Take, for example, the tune “Motion,” with its repetitive, rapid-fire groove punctuated by beeps that sound like a sonic scientist sending out a signal in search of life. Meyer offers elements of classical chops as evidenced on the lovely “On Hope,” twinges of the avant garde as offered on “Rewired,” a love for more worldly twists as witnessed on “Magnétique” and intense noir romance as presented on “Nesodden.” At 60, Meyer is in total control of his art, presenting this music with soul, intelligence, a tinge of mischief and a barrelful of love. If you like Convergence, go back and check out Provenance, his beautifully recorded 2017 solo bass release for ECM. Both of these works are great listening from a master of his craft.” — Frank Alkyer, Downbeat
“What Meyer discovers for his E-bass is nothing less than the other, second side of electricity… like Billie Holiday’s microphone—an intimacy previously unknown.” — Christoph Merki, Tages-Anzeiger
“.. Anyone who knows Björn Meyer from his collaboration with Nik Bärtschs Ronin or Anouar Brahem will have no doubts about his performance art, which is mature, imaginative, and geared towards wide-awake communication. The only question is whether he can captivate attention for an entire album. He can!” - Michael Engelbrecht, Deutschlandfunk DE
“.. In the depth everything vibrates, at the same time silver threads of sound are shimmering on top. Meyer shows an electric orchestra-sound under a sound-microscope.” - Christoph Merki, Tages-Anzeiger ZH
“.. Meyer manages to make his tools sound not quite like a bass or a guitar, yet similar and distinct from both. Eloquent and evocative, Provenance may be simple at heart but opens a world of beautiful sonics to savor.” - Geno Thackara, All About Jazz
“.. Provenance demonstrates that melodic high-jinks and emotional intensity aren’t just for those who inhabit the treble stave. Meyer’s bass sings.” - Rob Mallows, London Jazz News UK
“.. The album is often stunningly beautiful; bittersweet tones and deeply affecting melodies brought to life with Meyers unique guitar-like use of the bass. Highly recommended.” - Karl Ackermann, All About Jazz US
Current albums:
• Björn Meyer Solo - Convergence - (ECM)
• Garden of Silence - Neither You Nor I (bazaarpool)
• Simin Tander - The Wind (Jazzland Records)
• Marcel Lüscher Quartett - Make Things Happen (unit records)
• Gustaf, Frederick & Isabel - That Many Days Plus One (bazaarpool)
• NEN - Monolith 1 (Tonus Music Records)
• Amiira - Curious Objects (Arjunamusic)
• Homayoun Shajarian | Fardin Khalatbari - in Oblivion (Hermes Records)
• Björn Meyer Solo - Provenance (ECM)
• Anouar Brahem - Souvenance (ECM)
• Bazar Blå - Twenty (bazaarpool / Hermes Records)
