Christine Hoock is a versatile virtuoso. She can be heard in the most varied constellations in classical music, world music and jazz. Concert tours have taken her all around the world. Today, Christine Hoock is Professor of Double Bass at the Mozarteum University Salzburg. She plays an English instrument by William Tarr built in 1848.

Although at first we might wonder at the rationale for pairing these two pieces–a double bass concerto and a sinfonia concertante by a (not very well liked) colleague of Mozart and Haydn–on closer inspection we realize that the connection derives from the fact that both pieces were premiered by the same double bass virtuoso. Leopold Kozeluch’s Sinfonia Concertante is scored for the unique combination of mandolin, trumpet, double bass, and piano.

The skill of commanding attention and sustaining interest with only a double bass lies in the ability to treat this instrument as a self contained unit and as a platform for unheard things. Vasilic strays melodically and rhythmically when improvising, but never too much, and he never wanders into fully abstract territories. Pulsing and bubbling with a focused drive, these 11 pieces are relatively brief and focused essays. And the tone of these tunes is excellent. The Art of the Balkan Bass is recorded beautifully as the instrument's natural resonance is captured to its tiniest details. As a result to all of that, this record casually captivates from start to end, making a full display of Vasilic's talents as a performer and improviser.