Gong Expresso: Decadence

The name of the group and title of this album made me jump to the conclusion that I was about to hear some heavy metal thunder. Boy, was I wrong!

The team of Julien Sandiford/g, Hansford Rowe/b, Benoit Moerlen/vib-mar and Francois Caise/dr-perc create sublime and melodic moments on this collection of originals. With gentle pulse, the team sounds a bit like the Modern Jazz Quartet with guitar as the team sways on “Zephyr” and delicately swings on
“Toumani” while vibes and electric bass soulfully groove on “Eastern Platinum.” A Latin sizzle is created for “Prevo” and some rich dreams are coaxed out of Sandford’s nylon strings on the title track. Pastoral colors and moods.

www.gongexpresso.com

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