Island Of Form, The

Reviewed: 2018-01-09
Genre: Jazz
FCCs: none
Review: Drummer Ardelli seeks out inspiration from a wide musical spectrum, from foreign & art films to classical composition and music from around the world – in particular the music of Cuba. Yet his Cuban influence is clearly filtered through his strong grounding in formal composition, which is all to the better. Ardelli’s music has form and structure; it says something; and it goes wherever his muse, and the muses of his talented bandmates, lead him. On this debut CD, Ardelli gives us a fine mixture of influences
If You Like: David Virelles, Art Blakey, Sonny Rollins
Track Review (favorites denoted by *):
*1/ Agua (7:53) – drums star> midtempo jam> sax solo> midtempo jam> piano solo> midtempo jam> quick fade
*2/ Las Calanques (9:24) – piano starts softly> slow jam> piano solo> sax solo> slow jam> slow fade
*3/ Accretion (7:26) – drums/bass starts> slow jam> sax solo> midtempo off-kilter jam swings uptempo> piano solo> midtempo off-kilter jam> quick fade
4/ The Serpentine Path (8:56) – piano starts slow> slow jam slows even more> melody shift, still slow> bass solo> sax solo> pause> piano solo> slow jam> quick fade
5/ 5:55 AM (2:25) – drum solo starts> uptempo jam> quick stop>
*6/ Dumraven (7:53) – piano starts> slow jam> piano solo builds to midtempo> sax sol0 soars> uptempo jam> quick fade
7/ Thanks for Something (5:54) – sax solo starts> uptempo jam> off-kilter piano solo> drum solo> uptempo jam> quick stop
*8/ Shangri-La Pearl (8:55) – piano/bass duet starts> slow jam> bass solo> piano solo> slow jam> sax solo> fade