Speaking Hands
Self-Released, 2021
8/10
A Vancouver resident with a profound talent in the area of drumming and percussion, Curtis Andrews brings in a small army of musicians on this very diverse album, where exploration and richness fill the unpredictable textures.
“Tom TaTom TakaTom TaKi Ta Tom” starts the album with Jared Burrows’ electric guitar and Mark Duggan’s vibraphone adding to the cultured and percussively strong opener, and “Tight Rope, Short Walk” follows with Bansuri from Neelamjit Dhillon and Kaushik Sivaramakrishnan’s violin contributing much beauty amid the adventurous landscape.
Residing near the middle, “The Rainmaker emits much rhythm as Sri Trichy Sankaran brings a mridangam to the precisely layered affair, while “A Frayed Knot” places Meredith Bates’ skills on violin, and Kristian Naso’s trumpet isn’t anything to spit at either. The title track, one of the most noteworthy on the album, then displays dizzying strings alongside Andrews’ acrobatic drumming.
“The Shapeshifter” lands close to the end, and showcases exceptional brass alongside spirited electric guitar, and “Chapu Tala Malika” exits the listen with guitar, violin, electric bass, drums and even a hint of vocals in the very atypical finish.
This sophomore listen arrives more than a decade after his debut, but Andrews certainly makes it worth the wait as the all star ensemble even welcomes Dr. Trichy Sankaran, who plays on 4 tracks- 1 of which Sankaran composed for the group- and this only adds even more intrigue for the world jazz adventure.
Travels well with: Dan Pitt Quintet- Wrongs; TuneTown- Entering Utopia