donn@utah-gr.UUCP (Donn Seeley) (07/13/85)
[Since this article really isn't about Kate Bush, maybe it should go to a more appropriate newsgroup, but I couldn't think of any other related group except net.music.dead and it seemed slightly more out of place there. Apologies.] DRUM STRUM (1750 Arch Records, S-1804) is an album by percussionist George Marsh and electric guitarist John Abercrombie. Marsh is very good; Abercrombie is simply amazing and this album is a wonderful demonstration of his talent for melody and his gift for nuance. I've always liked Abercrombie's ensemble work, especially with his Abercrombie Quartet, but his recordings with smaller groups have come to haunt me -- the classic TIMELESS with Jan Hammer and Jack DeJohnette, the delightful duet FIVE YEARS LATER with Ralph Towner, the ethereal solo album CHARACTERS. DRUM STRUM is a beautifully varied album, and shows off the range of sounds and moods which Abercrombie can extract from his instrument, from exuberant melodies to stark abstractions. Some of the tracks are overdubbed to create a fuller sound, others are just a lonely guitar and delicate drums, and miraculously the styles never clash or seem artificial. This album was a bit hard to find, but the search proved to be well worth the effort -- if you know anything of John Abercrombie or even if you just like jazz guitar, I strongly recommend that you find this recording and give it a try. I was pleasantly surprised by Al Di Meola's new album CIELO E TERRA (Manhattan Records, ST53002) -- not only does Al now sound almost human, he seems to be discovering that he can play well without needing to be loud and fast. Actually I don't really mean to sound so condescending; I like this album a lot, and I hope it's a sign of good things to come. The sound is basically just acoustic guitar, occasionally overdubbed with a duet guitar or a synclavier harmony, sometimes paired with percussion (by Airto Moreira). The music ranges from peppy, Latin-accented styles reminiscent of Di Meola's older albums to careful, intellectual, melodic music of the sort you might find on an ECM album. Di Meola shows much more flexibility here than I've ever heard from him in the past, and he actually seems to be creating music to think about, music to be played more than a couple times. Quite a change from the ear-destroying roar that attacked me in the first concert of his I attended, that left my head ringing for days afterwards... 'Fraid I don't know what Binky thinks of this music, Donn Seeley University of Utah CS Dept donn@utah-cs.arpa 40 46' 6"N 111 50' 34"W (801) 581-5668 decvax!utah-cs!donn