Matinee: Björn Meyer solo

That’s the kind of thing you hope for: that one life-changing moment. Björn Meyer was playing guitar in a punk band and had just started studying computer science when he plucked a string on an electric bass lying around. That sound opened up a whole new world. Although Meyer, born in Stockholm in 1965, completed his degree, he then devoted himself entirely to the electric bass, and to this day he continues to discover new facets of the instrument. Meyer, who has lived in Switzerland for 30 years, has played flamenco, was a member of Bazar Blå, collaborated with Asita Hamidi and Anouar Brahem, co-founded the RONIN collective with Nik Bärtsch, founded the trio Amiira and the band NEN, and is a member of Simin Tander’s quartet. In 2017, he recorded his first solo album for ECM; his second, “Convergence,” recorded on a six-string bass and produced by Manfred Eicher, has just been released. He counts Anthony Jackson, Alan Holdsworth, and Carles Benavent among his influences. For young musicians, however, Meyer himself has now become a role model.