Customer Reviews

O Solo Drumbo

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Solo drum albums are rare prizes I seek out and rejoice in. Don Moye has done one, Andrew Cyrille more than one (that Cyrille's THE NEWS and Moye's SUN PERCUSSION are not available on CD is a crime against music). John French (a.k.a. "Drumbo," when he feels like it) here more than holds his own against these better known giants of the jazz world. Several of the compositions here---and they are unmistakably compositions: organized like mini sonatas or perfect short songs without worlds---are rearticulated versions of music French played on in the past. He was the unsung arranging genius behind much of the most original music recorded by Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band. Don Van Vliet would scatter ideas and musical phrases like a snow blower cutting through a stack of old Chess blues 78s and French would orangize the pieces. As on those early Magic Band records, French's limb independence here is almost unbelievable. He sounds like three or four percussionists all working together. But for all their independence, all of French's limbs are always in service to his deeply musical mind. Every flam or paradiddle, every sizzle and high-hat shoop are woven into patterns that are as complex as any full band might achieve---had they French's original mind and gleeful stubborness about leaning ever further toward the rhythmic wild country. The IDEA of a solo drum record might make you wary, but after the first few minutes of listening you won't think "solo drums" you'll just think "great music." Beats most (even Slow-hand's)bands hands down.

Yeah, that's right, drum solos and nothing but drum solos. I mean, he's a great individualistic drummer and I love John French (Beefheart, Crazy Backwards Alphabet, Frith/Kaiser, etc.) as much as the next guy, but how often can you listen to an album of nothing but drum solos?

A singular experience -- not to be repeated!