Label: Greenleaf Music, 2023
Personnel - John Ellis: bass clarinet; Hank Roberts: cello; Gary Versace: accordion; Joe Martin: bass; Rudy Royston: drums.
American drummer Rudy Royston, who has imbued the trios of JD Allen and Bill Frisell with refined rhythmic propulsions, releases Day, a strong second installment from his Flatbed Buggy, a quintet with a peculiar instrumentation. The group has no shifts in the lineup, relying on the powerful low sonorities of John Ellis on bass clarinet and Hank Roberts on cello, and counterweighting them with the soft accordion lines of Gary Versace. Joe Martin locks in with the drummer for a stable yet adaptable foundation.
For this new album (dedicated to his late brother Ritchie and to his music mentor and collaborator Ron Miles), Royston sonically depicts a full day of quarantine in a compelling narrative with varied moods and dynamics. Everything starts with and in the “Morning”, a simpatico number delivered with chamber tonalities and a celebratory folk manner to which the group intensely connects. Accordion, bass clarinet and cello are on the loose, while a playful groove runs at a lower level.
The modern folk-jazz vibe evinced on “Thank You For the Day” has its origin in plucked cello activity, which is soon combined with a bass pedal point and scintillating cymbal proceedings. Ellis makes his horn sing beautifully in the improvisation that ensues.
Penned by Martin, “Limeni Village” sounds polished and jazzier, but with adequate doses of abstraction. The drum fills are delightful, and Royston expands his language during the final vamp, after an immersive dialogue that occurs between Versace and Ellis. “The Mokes” carries a tango-ish feel, dropping a surprising 14-beat cycle vamp before closing, whereas the instantly catchy “Five Thirty Strut” displays a gorgeous drum intro, embracing a jubilant spirit that ends up expeditiously swinging.
Less effusive are “Look to the Hills” and “Missing You”. The former has a contemplative inception, slowly revealing an asymmetric structure caused by additive meter signatures {7+8}. The latter, a moving hyper-breathable ballad that waltzes resplendently, is the most beautiful piece on the album.
Despite of the topic, one doesn’t find nebulous atmospheres in Royston’s music. All is palpable and good-natured, eschewing flashy pyrotechnics in favor of empathetic interplay and folksy melodicism. Day is a wonderful album from an articulate drummer whose sound is contagious.
Favorite Tracks:
03 - Limeni Village ► 06 - Five Thirty Strut ► 07 - Missing You