What’s better than one bass? Two basses, of course! What’s better than two basses? Three basses, of course! What’s better than…you get the idea. Today, let’s explore multi-bass ensembles and look at a three-bass arrangement of a bass-melody classic by the king of bebop, Oscar Pettiford. “Blues in the Closet” is a jazz standard that O.P. composed together with bassist/cellist Harry Babasin in 1953. The blues melody also appears on some recordings under the lesser-known title “Collard Greens and Black-eye Peas.” Although Pettiford is well known as a driving force of the bebop era, Harry Babasin was also a stalwart on the West Coast jazz scene and played on well over 1,500 recordings. “Blues in the Closet” has been recorded countless times, by Stan Getz, J.J. Johnson, Bud Powell, Chet Baker, and many others. It’s an easy 12-bar blues with a repetitive melody. The key of G makes it a fun playground for bassists. First, let’s look at the history of multi-bass ensembles in jazz history. Probably the earliest prominent example of two or more bassists playing together is Hayes Alvis and Billy Taylor, who both worked in Duke Ellington’s band from 1935–1938. Oscar Pettiford and Harry Babasin were bass buddies who both played cello (tuned in 4ths, an octave above bass tuning) during the ’50s bebop era. Their recordings together are milestones — beautiful examples of two low-end masters working together. Bassist Arni Egilsson made a swinging album in 1985 with Ray Brown [Basses Loaded, Cambria]; Arni played arco melodies and solos, with Ray holding down the bottom. Egilsson would go on to work in a bass trio along with Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen and Wayne Darling [Live in Vienna, 2007, Quantum Leap]. Superbass is the name associated with the superstar bass ensemble led by Ray Brown and featuring John Clayton and Christian McBride. Their album Superbass! Live at Sculler’s Jazz Club [1997, Telarc] is a bass-gasmic, swinging affair. Created in 1981 by Christian Gentet, L’Orchestre De ContreBasses turned the double bass world on its ear with their ensemble of jazz and classical-crossover virtuosi. Featuring players such as Renaud Garcia-Fons, Yves Torchinsky, and others, the multi-bass ensemble has recorded numerous albums through the years, including their tour-de-force project Bass, bass, bass, bass, bass & bass [1993, iTunes, http://odecontrebasses.free.fr/] And, no discussion of multi-bass ensembles could ignore the Mount Rushmore of electric bass ensembles: SMV with Victor Wooten, Marcus Miller, and Stanley Clarke. Since the supergroup recorded Thunder [2008, Heads Up], fans have been clamoring for a reunion. Wooten has been more prolific with his Berklee BFF Steve Bailey, recording several albums in the two-bass format with Bass Extremes, the latest being S’Low Down [2022, Vix]. In this issue’s Oscar Pett