Here’s some music from a guy that sounds like he’s going places. Joshua Kwassman plays woodwinds and leads a rotating format of a band that includes wordless voice (Arielle Feinman), guitar (Jeff Miles/Gilad Hekselman), piano (Angelo Di Loreto/Adam Kromelow), bass (Craig Akin) and drums-percussion (Rodrigo Recabarren). The intriguing part of the whole mix is that the leader comes across as more of a facilitator and guide than a soloist. He uses his alto and clarinet quite judiciously on songs like “Our Land” and “We Were Kids,” and usually within the context of blending it with either guitar or with Feinman’s celestial vocals. The material itself has a kind of Pat Metheny-esque skip, bounce and inquisitive optimism to it, with “In Light There Is Song” and “2/22” eliciting a thoughtful mood as Hecselman’s guitar work yearns and coaxes along with Feinman, forming an equally yoked team. A gorgeous “Meditation” melds piano, clarinet and voice, while a three part “The Nowhere Trail” is an epic journey through various musical landscapes through hills and valleys of sonic adventure. Quite thrilling and inventive music!
Squareast Records