Perspectives
Cedille, 2022
9/10
The Grammy Award winning outfit Third Coast Percussion bring us a set of world premiere recordings of works either penned for the quartet or arranged by the Chicago luminaries.
“Percussion Quartet”, by Danny Elfman, opens the listen with playful and mesmerizing vibes that are complemented by serene moments as well as busy bursts of the cinematic song craft that Elfman is known for, and it even recruits African balofon, Indonesian gamelan, and Shostakovich nods.
Phillip Glass’ “Metamorphosis No. 1” follows with a calm spirit that showcases intimacy between the marimba, vibraphone, glockenspiel, and melodica, which is a far cry from the solo piano of the original, while Jlin’s “Perspective” flows across 7 movements of dreamy, adventurous songwriting that was originally composed as electronic tracks.
Flutronix & Third Coast Percussion collaborate for the record ending “Rubix”, where the duo flutes from Flutronix add much charm and allure to the very precise and warm instrumentation.
A percussion ensemble with an unparalleled amount of talent and creativity, each piece here travels its own unique path, and the strong attention to detail makes for a stunning body of work.
Travels well with: Aznavoorian Duo- Gems From Armenia; Will Liverman- Dreams Of A New Day