Two springs ago, about a hundred gadrillion cicadas were laying down some serious tracks in Costa Rica — the warm-weather insects come rigged with these funny little membranes that expand and contract on command, producing the infamous “chirp” that for centuries has captured the imagination’s more contemplative side. Rob Thorsen was among a wave of tourists attending the impromptu gig, and he was so impressed he thought he’d bring a few bugs back home for everybody to enjoy. The La Jolla resident and acclaimed traditional jazz bassist relates his little gift in the form of a cut from “Lasting Impression,” his fourth CD as the central figure. “Cigarones,” he said, is the product of the cicadas’ penchants for dead silence one minute and deafening volumes the next. “It was like when you hear a symphony orchestra go from nothing to this amazing crescendo,” Thorsen told Village News. “The silence is almost as powerful as the sound.” You can hear Thorsen and his back-up crew trot out “Cigarones” among several entries Wednesday, July 1 at Little Italy’s acclaimed Anthology, as “Lasting Impression” becomes the focus of a very cool release party. And even as “Cigarones” affords a tantalizing taste of Latin America, the whole collection is a singular tribute to Thorsen’s generosity as a band-leader. He gives lots of turf to seven local heavy-hitters, trumpeter Gilbert Castellanos and percussionist Duncan Moore among them — listen to Castellanos weave in and out of the”Porgy and Bess” song “The Man I Love”; exult in Moore’s joyous backbeats in “Dexterity,” the 10-cut CD’s introductory tune. “I’ve been in situations where I’m in a band and there’s maybe not a bass solo all night, or they give you charts but there’s never any bass parts written out,” Thorsen explained. “I think you’re kind of cutting yourself short as far as the [musical] possibilities that way. I really try to feature [the others] but also maintain the continuity of the group. Sonically, it’s really interesting for people to hear different combinations.” Still, Thorsen’s breezy versatility comes through loud and clear amid the kaleidoscopic sound for which his bass is renowned — but except for a few places like Crescent Shores Grill and, of course, The Athenaeum Music & Arts Library, live-action La Jolla isn’t the place for any such reflection at present. “There’s a little bit of stuff going on,” he explained, “but the owners have got really big rents to contend with and fierce competition. And it takes some time to get the following out. You have to have everything kind of set up, and I don’t think owners necessarily have a real concept of what they want to do kind of going into it. “It’s not like these places are generating $20,000 a night. And if you try to go budget and pay people very little, you can do it, but generally, you attract pretty mediocre musicians, and people aren’t going to be excited about them.” Well, Thorsen’s excited about his party, not only for himself but also for the remarkable collection of support players and, ultimately, for us. “Cigarones” may have evolved from something fairly innocuous, but we’re the true beneficiaries amid the magic that often follows. After all, George Gershwin got his inspiration for “Rhapsody in Blue” from the sound of a passing train, and look what happened to him. The party is set for 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 1 at Anthology, 1337 India St. in Little Italy. For tickets ($12) or information, call (619) 595-0300 or visit www.anthologysd.com.
