Sum//Parts
Self-Released, 2023
8/10
An outfit spearheaded by the Toronto drummer and tabla player Dhaivat Jani, these 8 tracks detail Jani’s journey from his early years in India to his migration to Canada, and all the turmoil, pain and joy that comes with a transition of that nature.
“Day 21” gets the listen off to a cultured start, where soft chanting and Joshua Stanberry’s hypnotic keys are met with Lucas Dubovik’s soulful sax, and “Pulwama” follows with Jani’s fluid drumming complemented by Eliana Parker’s soaring voice and Dean Veneruz’s cozy vibes.
At the halfway point, “Change Is The Only Constant” benefits much from the mesmerizing piano and Matt McCormack’s skilled bass, while “It Might Rain” is full of soft beauty that’s cinematic and intimate before bursting into booming brass and fluid drumming.
The last 2 tracks are among the best, where “Peshkaar” rumbles with a bit of mystery, and the dreamy yet dense “Unchain” spotlights Matt Greenwood’s skilled guitar in a more rock focused climate.
The diverse influences here include Chris Potter, Radiohead and Led Zeppelin, as Jani and company weave in and out of a very worldly and exciting listen.
Travels well with: Sébastian Parent- Project Seb Parent; The Artie Roth Quartet- Resonants