...a beautiful, nuanced and expansive work. If Mr. Waldrop only played the drumset, that would be enough for me (he's top-notch on that axe!), but here he also acquits himself admirably on marimba and vibes, and represents himself as an extremely communicative composer. Listening to this CD, I close my eyes and imagine I am in a recital hall and the musicians are filling my head and heart with the many feelings and emotions conveyed in this wonderful program of music.
While featuring the marimba as a melodic instrument throughout Time Frames, percussionist Michael Waldrop fully celebrates its origins as an African percussion instrument, creating provocative rhythmic undercurrents to offset his soaring melodies and improvisations. Surrounding himself with other renowned and musically diverse percussionists Gordon Stout, Brad Dutz, Jose Rossy and Marko Djordjevic, the heightened rhythmic colorings propel Waldrop's five original compositions. Jack Cooper's expansive "Three Mediterranean Views" gives space to pianist Steve Snyder, while two drumsets provide the hurricane power behind "Katrina's Path." Famed marimbist Gordon Stout's "Incoming" is a virtuosic study for himself on marimba and Waldrop on drumset. Stylistically vast—from delicate, classical chamber music, to intricate, groove-laden marimba and percussion atmospheres, or ferocious waves of drums—Time Frames retains a musical center, one that revels in the deep, fundamental human connection to rhythm.
"The music on this CD is often infused with influences from minimalism, popular music, and other styles and genres, but always informed with musical sensibility, harmonic sophistication and intelligence. Most importantly, Michael Waldrop is both a lifelong fan and staunch devotee of both mallet keyboard percussion and all things drumming. And, he knows how to groove!" - Gordon Stout
Click here to listen to the album
Michael Waldrop - marimba (1,2,3,5,6,11,14), vibraphone (4), drum set (8-10,12,13), keyboard sequencing (1,2,7,12,15)
Jose Rossy - djembe, djun djuns, shekere and miscellaneous percussion (1,2,7,12,15)
Brad Dutz - bongos, congas, doumbek, riq, percussion (1,3-5,14)
Steve Snyder - piano (3-5)
Alex Pershounin - acoustic bass (3,5)
Sam Shoup - acoustic bass (4)
Ivana Cojbasic - acoustic piano (6)
Marko Djordjevic - drum set (10)
Gordon Stout - marimba (13)
Produced by Michael Waldrop & Tim Reppert
Mixed by Tim Reppert, Boston, MA
Mastered by Scott Kinsey, Los Angeles, CA
Waldrop photos by Jordan Lewis
Zimbabwean Shona sculpture (The Drummer) by Phillip Mawarire
Cover design & layout by John Bishop
(1,2,7,12,15) Marimba - Recorded by Michael Lewis, Song Mill Studio, Hayden, ID; July, 2020
Percussion - Recorded by Jimi Tunnell, Buffalo Sound, Denton, TX; Nov, 2020
(3-6) Marimba / Piano / Vibes - Recorded by SaCha MÜller, Dead Aunt Thelma's Studio, Portland, OR Dec, 2020
(3-5) Percussion - Recorded by Brad Dutz, Los Angeles, CA / Piano - Recorded by Alan Johnson, Static Shack, Indianapolis, IN / Bass - Recorded by Travis Huisman, Catamount Recording. Cedar Falls, IA; Nov, 2020
(4) Bass - Recorded by Matt Tutor, Bloodworth Studio, Memphis. TN
(8-10) Recorded by Steve Gamberoni, SFCC, Spokane, WA; Jan, 2019
(11) Recorded by Shawn Trail, EWU Recital Hall, Cheney, WA; June 2020
(13) Recorded by Tim Reppert, REP Studio, Ithaca, NY; Dec, 2005
(14) Recorded by Wayne Peet, KillZone Studio, Los Angeles, CA; August 2010