
(Review by Russell).
The Dance of Venus is a phonographic celebration of life,
consciousness and the universe and the group explore the role of meditation and
still consciousness in music. The album is inspired by the Quadrivium – the
four Liberal Arts of Number, Geometry, Music and Cosmology, studied from
antiquity as a means to perceive the beautiful numerical order that
characterizes the universe.
Don’t switch off! Read on…
Bandleader Sam
Gardner has studied the Indian classical repertoire of the tabla under the
brilliant Bhupinder Singh Chaggar and Jesse Bannister and adapted it for drum
kit. There is the little matter of drum studies with Dave Hassle and Gary
Husband (in recent years drummer of choice for John McLaughlin) and one begins
to see where the amiable young drummer is coming from. Gardner
has gigged many times in Newcastle ,
indeed all of the band have appeared on Tyneside of late (Singh Chaggar
memorably so in concert at the Corner House) and the above blurb can be taken
as you wish. What counts is the music – and it’s great! Krzyztof Urbanski is an
award-winning saxophonist with commendations from the likes of Herbie Hancock,
Wayne Shorter and Kenny Burrell. Pianist Dominic J Marshall is another
garlanded young musician and the common denominator between he and Urbanski is
they are gloriously Old Skool players. Yes, they’ve got attitude (hip hop
attitude), why wouldn’t they (so young, so talented)?
Eight tracks make up The Dance of Venus. Flowing, turbulent, tight, myriad influences –
American jazz, hip hop, Indian rhythms, Latin rhythms (percussionist Sam Bell
spent a year in Russell.
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