Jeremy Rose & The Earshift Orchestra

Percussion-focused without being percussive, Australian reeds player Jeremy Rose integrates the focused output of two accomplished drummers – Aussie Simon Barker and Korean Chloe Kim – as part of the Earshift Orchestra’s oeuvre. The two add a rhythmic underpinning to all 11 tracks, which with artful arrangements provide the octet with a bigger sound that expected.

While the traditional-tune -toe-tapper “O,Yeok, Chil-Chae” is dedicated to Barker and Kim’s percussion discussion, more prominently their presence adds more oomph to full band tracks. On “Road to Body” for instance the continuous paradiddles and pumps infill the backing to what begins with sombre clarinet puffs from Rose and following the drums-piano-guitar extension opens up to thick horn vibrations, with Thomas Avgenicos’s Mariachi-styled trumpeting mixed with clarion reed tonguing. The bluesy “Hold Tight” also demonstrates that the two drummer are capable of playing an expected Jazz beat. Warm frails from guitarist Hilary Geddes precede confluence between the horn and Ben Carey’s synthesizer washes, with reed split tones, brass triplets and drum ruffs settling onto a near Hard Bop groove. Novak Manojlovic’s acoustic piano clips or glissandi are featured elsewhere, as are the flanges from his electric piano. But while Rhodes slurs and twitching synthesizer shimmies plus percussion backbeat and disco whistles can be used for “The Trace”, a dance-hall-like sequence, the dual electronic interface is more effective on the atmospheric “Appear To Be”. Creating a horizontal flow undulating over drum ruffs and cymbal splashes the electronics successfully meld with harmonized horn parts to slide to a moving finale.

Field recordings of ambient noises and children’s chants are also used throughout, but sparingly so that like buzzing brass triplets, stretched guitar riffs and intense reed variations they don’t upset the tunes’ linear flow. Instead utilizing the ambiance of percussion polyrhythms creates a unique musical flavor for Disruption. Rather than being a disruption though, the rhythm solidifies the session’s appeal and delineates the compositional and performance chop of Rose and ther octet.

— Ken Waxman

Track Listing: . Chant 12 for Pacific Islands 2. Road to Body 3. O,Yeok, Chil-Chae 4. Interlude 5. The Trace 6. Appear To Be 7. Hold Tight 8. Wave Sad, Weave Slow 9. Mirage Returns 10. Here Again 11. Currents and Tides

Personnel: Thomas Avgenicos (trumpet); Jeremy Rose (tenor saxophone/bass clarinet); Novak Manojlovic (piano, Rhodes, prophet); Hilary Geddes (guitar); Ben Carey (modular synthesizer); Jacques Emery (bass); Simon Barker and Chloe Kim (drums)