JazzNu

The music on A Drum Thing was created in a special way and at the same time not. Not, because the method used by Atzko Kohashi and Tony Overwater has already been tried by hundreds of thousands.

Come together, compare ideas, rehearse, see where there is still room for planning and then put the pans on. The pianist and double bassist did the same, with the understanding that they did not meet with their own material in hand, but brought in work by mainly (legendary) drummers. From there, we can start rehearsing uninhibitedly from everyone’s mind, end the day and leave the rehearsal for what it was. To come together again a day or so later and build on the experiences of the last time.

Improvisation on improvisation and improvisation. Spontaneity, intuition, true intentions to explore each other while listening, these have become the building blocks for A Drum Thing . These were stacked on the foundations provided by both musicians and which consist of compositions by mainly drummers: Paul Motian, Jack DeJohnette, Al Foster and Peter Erskine. And especially Sunny Murray, more about that later. Double bassist Charlie Haden and Tony Overwater themselves also contributed material. While John Coltrane’s The Drum Thing not only supports this duo performance in name, but also concludes it.

That intuition – we already wrote it above – is one of the carriers of A Drum Thing . With Tony Overwater it manifests itself repeatedly, with Atzko Kohashi it is a bit more hidden. But both are riding on it. This album was made to experience, relive and find yourself in different waters each time. The diversity is enormous. The urge to deal with each other’s note distribution with an open mind is almost constant, so that thoughtfulness often prevails. But this is beautifully alternated with elements with which jazz music has developed so strongly. Like in Blues in Motian for example, where an unrelenting swing is captured.

Tony Overwater’s double bass sounds fantastic, which is certainly due to the recording technique used. But certainly also because of the self-confidence with which he handles his instrument. The double bass is so often right next to the piano, but just as often it folds underneath it. The same thing happens the other way around: the piano, an instrument that so often assigns itself a solo role, floats beneath the sounds of the most stately of all instruments, at other times taking time and space to tell its – in this case her story through the female hands that hold it. to stir – to convey.

But no matter how the two musicians relate to each other, there is always an intimate setting. Where you as a listener can enter carefully and be led to ingenious sound excursions. That automatically evoke understanding and therefore enhance your listening pleasure every time. A Drum Thing is more than one thing, it is a new milestone in the already flowery career of Tony Overwater – and probably also in that of Atzko Kohashi.

Rinus van der Heijden - Source