Rise ForEver with Joshua Crumbly

Acclaimed LA / New York bassist, producer and songwriter Joshua Crumbly joins Shahzad Ismaily’s figureight records for the release of beautiful new album ForEver   “ForEver is a letter to tomorrow,” Joshua tells us. His music embodies this sentiment with eloquent gravitas. It is certainly as personal as a letter, handcrafted in the most expressive and affecting ways. Like a letter, it speaks not only of its own words, but of the writer, a soul baring important truths. And it is addressed to “tomorrow”; a sense of hope and conviction illuminate its gentle musical miniatures. “ForEver is a reflection on love, legacy and happenings in the world. A warm hug in inner space.”   Though centred about the bass guitar - Joshua is a sought after bassist whose credits include albums for Blue Note, recording dates with Bob Dylan, and performances with Kamasi Washington - ForEver uses additional instrumentation with subtlety and grace. Key track “THREE” grooves on a balmy percussive rhythm while a jazz-tinged synth melody loops and coils about the repeated bassline. The rolling, free drums of “Higher” offer a chaotic counterpoint to the lilting serenity of its arpeggiated bass chords.    Interestingly, the record’s first vocal lines appear midway through the album (in “To Morrow”), a timely reminder that all of the elegance, power and fluency thus far has been achieved without a single lyric. Towards the end of the record, “Kolkata” is named after the birthplace of Joshua’s mother. Combinations of cultures - Joshua has an African-American father and a South Asian mother - is found in abundance in his music. “I think the sound of the album is flexible and doesn’t inherently lead to any one singular experience,” he writes. “ForEver can be the leaves of a tree in the wind far off in the distance, or the vast sea that you’ve dipped your feet into whilst taking in the infinite, finding your own reflection.”   Joshua made his musical debut aged 10, playing alongside his saxophonist father. A gifted performer, even as a pre-teen, he