Devin Brahja Waldman/Hamid Drake: Mediumistic Methodology (Astral Spirits) 8/10 Ken Vandermark/Hamid Drake: Eternal River (Corbett vs. Dempsey) 8.5/10 It’s a secret few drummers unlock: the art of playing so melodically as to create relationships between their instrument (of indeterminate pitch) and other instruments (of determinate pitch) that imply a kind of harmony.…
Category: Album Reviews
IN THE WAVES (Earshift) 8/10 From the first time I heard Steve Barry, it was clear he was not just a good player, but a musical forcefield. That was around 2009, and this album is the finest instalment to date of the pianist’s bristling musical intelligence, rhythmic mutability, melodic flair…
RITUAL DIAMONDS 8/10 Imagine gazing out at a placid, turquoise-coloured lagoon, then diving in, only to discover it’s seething with sea-snakes. This music is a bit like that. The surface is all high-gloss melodies that often carry a certain beguiling tranquillity, and if you play it too softly or are…