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Jeremy Rose & the Earshift Orchestra — Disruption: The Voice of Drums
(Bandcamp Earshift EAR067, 2022, CD / DL)

by Jon Davis, Published 2023-11-23

Disruption: The Voice of Drums Cover art

The unusual Australian jazz ensemble called the Earshift Orchestra was formed by woodwind player and composer Jeremy Rose with the express purpose of exposing the talents of the younger generation of players from the country. Disruption! The Voice of Drums is the group’s second recording, though aside from Rose himself, the personnel is entirely different from that on Iron in the Blood (2016). It’s an octet with Rose (tenor sax, bass clarinet), Simon Barker (drums), Chloe Kim (drums), Thomas Avgenicos (trumpet), Hilary Geddes (guitar), Novak Manojlovic (keyboards), Jacques Emery (bass), and Ben Carey (modular synthesizer). Yes, two drummers. In fact, as the album title suggests, drums are the featured instruments on this set of 11 tracks, and all but two of them are co-written by Rose with one of the drummers; one of those two is credited to Barker and Kim, and the other is Rose on his own. The opening track is “Chant 12 for Pacific Islands,” and it showcases some of the features that make the album distinctive. First, there are a lot of percussive sounds involved, generated by the two drummers, and it’s apparent that some of the percussion instruments are not those of the standard drum kit. From the photos, Kim’s setup includes a number of rototoms as well as a platform of other items; Barker has a large piece of wood to one side — though, of course there’s no guarantee the photos correspond to what was used in the studio. Carey’s electronics are mostly subtle and atmospheric, contributing drones, oceanic swells, and the occasional swooping sound. Woodwinds and trumpet, in spite of being melodic instruments, seem to function in a support role to the drums rather than leading. Rose, in particular, has some excellent moments, with notable excursions on bass clarinet. Guitar is hardly ever audible, contributing cloudy chords that swell in and out — only one track features a prominent guitar part, though that is a lengthy and interesting solo. Many of the tunes do feature a set tempo, but there’s never a standard rhythm present, be it swing, funk, latin, or whatever. The two drummers keep the tempo in their own distinctive ways, and the collective groove — if you want to call it that — forms out of what might be called a consensus reality rather than precise planning. All in all, it’s one of the most creative and colorful mid-size ensemble jazz recordings I’ve heard in a while.

Filed under: New releases, 2022 releases

Related artist(s): Jeremy Rose / Earshift Orchestra

More info
http://jeremyrose.bandcamp.com/album/disruption-the-voice-of-drums

 

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