Serenity
Galtta, 2019
9/10
This 3rd effort from jazz luminaries Ron Thomas and John Swana has Thomas handling keyboards while Swana holds down EVI duties (Electronic Valve Instrument) across 4 tunes that twist and turn with synth fueled maneuvering that rarely sounds like it originated on earth.
“Message” starts the listen with an ‘80s ambience that gets spacey and cinematic with a charming sense of mystery, where waves of synth and a dreamy setting make these 10 minutes soar by, and “Rainforest” follows with a sci-fi feeling where ambient noises resemble animals and the atmosphere turns darker.
The last 2 tunes keep the creativity high and the unclassifiable landscape even higher. While “Foundation” sounds it could soundtrack a space craft landing on another planet in another dimension with its artistic restraint, “Serenity” closes out the affair indeed with a calm offering of meditative, soothing electronica manipulation that few could replicate.
An amazing collaboration that was actually recorded in 2007, Thomas and Swana were and still are way ahead of their time, as their musical vision far exceeds just about anything else being made.
Travels well with: Herbie Hancock- Thrust; Ryan Kisor- The Sidewinder