Having a strong sense of history and a forward-minded vision have always been John Patitucci’s two greatest strengths. His penchant for unshakable, authentic, band-driving grooves on acoustic and electric bass — which have made him the go-to choice for Chick Corea, Wayne Shorter, Michael Brecker, Herbie Hancock, and countless others — can be traced to his fervor for such feel-first fanatics as Ray Brown, Jimmy Garrison, Paul Chambers, James Jamerson, and Willie Weeks. Likewise, his way-ahead-of-the-pack pronouncements on the 6-string bass guitar, particularly as a soloing and chordal voice, are rooted in his passion for John Coltrane and Wes Montgomery. This dual-minded focus is once again on display on the 59-year-old’s latest outing, Soul of the Bass. Patitucci’s premise was to join the ranks of the major jazz acoustic bassists who have recorded unaccompanied solo albums, and indeed, the melodic, concise, beautifully captured acoustic-bass pieces that dominate the 13-tra