Reviewed: 2018-04-11
Genre: World
FCCs: none
Review: This double disc is a complete overview of pianist Dharmawan's stunningly broad stylistic span. Not everything here is world-centric and it is not always pretty, but the gems are worth it, where he addresses the relationships between Indonesian music & modern jazz in unexpected and startlingly creative ways. Mark Wingfield adds some sonic guitar in places.
If You Like: Egberto Gismonti, Collin Walcott, Oregon, Paul Winter Consort
Track Review (favorites denoted by *):
DISC 1
*1/ Pasar Klewer (12:14) – piano starts> midtempo jam with flute out front quickly morphs into a fast tempo worldbeat jam fronted by electric guitar> fast tempo piano solo> uptempo worldbeat fusion jam with scat vocals morphs into mellow midtempo bowed bass/piano duet> swings to lightning-fast jam> drum/percussion duet> midtempo piano solo swings into another lightning-fast fusion jam with electric guitar leading the charge> quick stop
*2/ Spirit Of Peace (8:55) – flute starts> midtempo worldbeat fusion jam> guitar solo> clarinet solo> piano/percussion duet> scat/percussion duet> uptempo fusion jam> quick fade
**3/ Campuhan (12:58) – percussion/bells start> midtempo worldbeat fusion jam with soprano sax over the top> percussion solo> midtempo jam swings to fast tempo, then slows to midtempo> piano solo> midtempo fusion jam with the music rolling in waves and building to a crescendo, then mellowing to a long slow fade
4/ Forest (8:00) – electric guitar starts> slow blues-like song with male vocal> piano solo> slow song> piano/electric guitar duet> slow soaring song accented by electric guitar & piano> fade
5/ London In June (4:58) – drums> midtempo song with loud male vocal> off-kilter jam with scat vocal builds in volume, intensity, & frenzy, then sows to a quick fade
DISC 2
**6/ Lir Ilir (11:39) – female acapella vocals start with keening chorus> piano solo> midtempo jam swings to fast tempo with female chorus over the top> piano solo slows to midtempo> brief melody shift, quick stop> pause> fade
*7/ Bubuy Bulan (8:31) – piano starts> sinewy midtempo jam with clarinet on top> piano solo> clarinet solo reaches for the sky> midtempo jam> fade & some piano notes
**8/ Frog Dance (10:54) – electronics & frog sounds start > midtempo hesitating jam morphs into uptempo worldbeat jam with soprano sax on top> crescendo> return to original melody> piano solo> uptempo worldbeat jam with soprano sax on top> quick stop & frog sounds
*9/ Life Itself (7:08) – drums start> midtempo sonic jam> piano solo builds to uptempo> electric guitar solo morphs into uptempo sonic jam> piano solo slows to midtempo> fade
10/ Purnama (6:49) – piano starts> midtempo duet with drums> full band joins> midtempo jam> piano solo to fade
11/ Forest (instrumental) – sonic guitar starts> midtempo sonic jam> piano/guitar duet> fade