Is there a more versatile, all-in bass player than Kaveh Rastegar? Since arriving in Los Angeles in 1999, Rastegar has defined the modern session bassist: He’s a doubler who has provided bottom on recordings ranging from Meshell Ndegeocello and Shania Twian to Beck and Charlie Puth, as well as film soundtracks and jingles (including an appearance in La La Land); he’s a composer who has written for Ndegeocello, Bruno Mars, Ciara, and Cee Lo Green; and he’s a producer for Sabrina Claudio, Dawn Richard, and De La Soul (for whom he also wrote and played bass). Then there’s his recently concluded, 18-year run wearing all of those hats in the forefront jazz unit Kneebody, and his longtime role in John Legend’s band. With that much musical impact on other people’s projects, it was only a matter of time before Kaveh released his solo debut. Light of Love is a sonic tapestry full of fervent grooves, abundant vocal hooks, and ingenious bass orchestrations via his ’64 Fender Precision and acoustic bass. Key to the 12-track disc’s uber-contemporary sound is the way it was written and produced, through free-form jam sessions, post-jam collaborations, and open-minded experimentation. Co-conspirators include vocalists Becca Stevens, Gaby Moreno, and David Garza, drummers Chris Dave and Scott Seiver, guitarists Chris Bruce and Josh Lopez, and trumpeter Nicholas Payton. Allows Kaveh, “This record was certainly overdue. The fun was in drawing from all of my musical worlds.” Born in Montreal on November 17, 1975, Rastegar moved with his family to Denver when he was two, remaining there until age 21. The years in between were filled with music at the urging of his arts-minded parents and his stepdad, a prog-rock composer/guitarist. Saxophone came first, at age nine in elementary school, and then his tastes turned to punk rock and reggae. Kaveh recalls, “Suicidal Tendencies, Sly & Robbie, the Cure — the bass in those bands was such a driving instrument, and the ferocious, wonderful sound when the rest of the band dropped out drew me to bass. A key was Simon Gallup’s part on The Cure’s ‘Fascination Street’ [Disintegration, 1989, Elektra].” First picking out bass lines on his stepdad’s acoustic guitar, Rastegar got a Fender Musicmaster Bass at age 13 from his mom, and he was off. While in high school he saw the Psychodelic Zombiez, a local funk–punk horn band, and he fell into their universe, meeting their vocalist and then Lopez and Seiver, and gigging in all of the group’s satellite bands. Spending time on a Fender P-Bass Lyte, a Peavey TL-5, a Fender Jazz Bass 5-string, and Lopez’s dad’s acoustic bass, Rastegar played in reggae and salsa bands, and he subbed for jazz acoustic bassist Artie Moore. Along the way he took in the additional influences of Flea, Les Claypool, Jaco Pastorious, Pino Palladino, and Bernard Edwards. Gradually, members of the Zombiez moved to Los Angeles, creating a pipeline for the Colorado cr