Percussive, guttural, aggressive, dynamic, decisive, melodic, and rhythmically entrancing. When Chris Wood steps up to his double bass, he does it with all the authority of a man who has spent his life on countless stages diving into the unknown in the realm of improvisation and coming out on the other side. His physicality on the upright gives him a towering appearance, despite his modest stature. Getting every bit of sound from each note, Wood is a master of resonance, and more important, dynamics. His lines come to life with earthy tones that feed off of string buzz and reverberation, while his pocket and groove never waver under the command of his adept fingers. When he straps on his vintage Hofner bass guitar, Wood is equally impactful. Chasing every tonal possibility via forceful plucking, rhythmic picking, precisely stroked low notes, muted thumbing, and even a steel-guitar slide, he makes the listener wonder what exactly they’re hearing.   Those two instruments have been the 53-year-old doubler’s preferred vehicles of expression for over three decades with his avant-groove jazz trio Medeski Martin & Wood, and for almost two decades with his folky Americana outfit, the Wood Brothers. The latest from TWB, Heart Is the Hero, is a fine sample of Wood’s playing. From his upbeat grooves on “Pilgrim” and his syncopated backbeat on “Line Those Pockets,” to his lead riff and lead vocal on “Mean Man World” and his melodic depth on “Rollin’ On,” Chris is obviously at home in the music that he creates with his brother, guitarist/vocalist Oliver Wood, and drummer/multi-instrumentalist Jano Rix. The three recorded the album to analog tape, intentionally limiting their options. The result is a record that’s both complex and full of depth, while remaining joyful and easy to listen to. On the bottom, Wood digs into his toolbox to issue tones and note choices that keep us guessing throughout, which is exactly his intention.Photo by L WilderCongratulations on the release of Heart Is the Hero. How does it feel to have it out to the world? It’s always interesting putting new stuff out there and seeing how people react. Creating music like this is always a bit of a rollercoaster ride. I think you get excited about it, and then you think, Oh, maybe it’s not as great as I think it is, and then, No, maybe it is — but wait, maybe it isn’t. What’s been nice about this record is the way we created it, because it made for less anxiety. The rollercoaster ride was not as crazy as it usually can be. I attribute that partly to the process of recording it, which was completely analog, meaning fewer choices. We only had 16 tracks to work with for each song. We basically had to work fast and go with our gut feelings, and then it was what it was. It felt honest and immediate. It’s certainly a stripped-down album. Was that your motivation to simplify and go analog? We’re old enough to have one foot in the old-school way of