CD
Reviews - 3.19.09::Col. Bruce Hampton, Ret.
Songs of the Solar Ping
Written by Ernie Paik
Wednesday, 18 March 2009 16:32
(Brato Ganibe)The Atlanta-based musician Col. Bruce Hampton
is a star in the jam-band scene with a devoted following, best
known for his material with the ’90s outfit the Aquarium
Rescue Unit. Some fans, from the jam-band world, who wanted
to expand their Hampton collections may very well have been
startled, confused, or simply repelled when delving into his
other work. You see, Hampton is a surrealist at heart, with
a catalog of out-there music that has drawn its own committed
audience. This work, from the late ’60s-early ’70s
outfit Hampton Grease Band to his offbeat solo records, leans
toward eccentric styles akin to those of Captain Beefheart or
maybe Frank Zappa, but more unhinged.
Hampton’s musical worlds occasionally overlap, but his
latest solo album, Songs of the Solar Ping, is squarely in the
oddball territory that this reviewer finds most endearing out
of Hampton’s approaches. There is an unfettered, non-self-conscious
spirit throughout the album, particularly when it comes to musicianship;
his aim isn’t to demonstrate his chops but to catch the
listener off guard, like on the two erratic piano pieces that
sound like an untrained version of Cecil Taylor. Some tracks,
including the opening title track, dive right into free jazz,
with drums and cymbal taps providing a jittery momentum and
guitars (which sometimes sound like sitars) weaving a meandering
path.
Hampton plays all instruments on the album, with the exception
of keyboards played by Dennis Palmer (of the Shaking Ray Levis)
on two tracks, which happen to be among the album’s most
colorfully deranged numbers. The ones that don’t quite
work are the distorted guitar tracks that are reminiscent of
a visit to a Guitar Center’s demo room, and some of the
album’s best pieces are the ones where Hampton plays around
with language (or a lack thereof) and vocal sounds, using mumbled
lyrics, gibberish, nonsense, and even gargling noises. Those
are the songs that best demonstrate Hampton’s attention-grabbing,
wickedly playful, and brain-arresting talents. |
FromThe
Chattanooga Pulse 03/2009
