9/20/21:
A particle or a wave?

If you want to hear a "traditional" jazz band led by a drummer, Fernando Isasti's La Disidencia de las Máquinas album that I recently reviewed is a fine example. If you want to hear a more "modern" jazz band led by a drummer, Asaf Sirkis is happy to oblige.



Asaf Sirkis
Solar Flash
(Moonjune)


I use those quotes as a way of winking, of course. Isasti's outfit may stick to acoustic sounds, but his musical ideas are quite forward-thinking. Sirkis's band has keyboards, electric bass and all the accouterments of "modern" or fusion jazz bands since, um, the late 60s. The compositions have elements of prog and I'd say Sirkis would be more than welcome to open a King Crimson show. So, y'know, "modern" is a relative term.

What I really like is Sirkis's ability to drive his compositions. These pieces draw liberally from jazz, prog, space rock and the ambient. Even when they are contemplative, they are far from languid. He embraces both the manic and the introspective with equal enthusiasm.

In the end, music is music. The more I listen to this, the less comfortable I am with putting any label on it. And I don't like labels anyway. Asaf Sirkis has a singular notion of sound, and this album is an arresting example. There's a lot to unpack, but that just makes this that much more exciting. One of the more intriguing albums I've heard this year.

Jon Worley


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