Barrett Martin: Agbadza

Track

Agbadza

Artist

Barrett Martin (drum set, Fender Rhodes, piano, vibes, electric, acoustic and classical guitars, Indonesian gamelans, African drums, steel drums, Japanese koto, hand percussion, synthesizer)

CD

Earthspeaker (Fast Horse Recordings FH011)

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Musicians:

Barrett Martin (drum set, Fender Rhodes, piano, vibes, electric, acoustic and classical guitars, Indonesian gamelans, African drums, steel drums, Japanese koto, hand percussion, synthesizer),

Dave Carter (trumpet, flugelhorn), Craig Flory (flute), Kanoa Kaluhiwa (tenor sax), Luis Guerra (bass), Manny Oquendo (African drums, hand percussion, electronic sounds)

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Composed by Barrett Martin

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Recorded: Accra, Ghana (field recording); The Tone Palace, Taos, New Mexico; released April 2006

Albumcoverbarrettmartin-earthspeaker

Rating: 90/100 (learn more)

Barrett Martin is a musical polymath whose interests and talent have been spread over rock music (as drummer for Screaming Trees), percussion-driven instrumentals (Earthspeaker and others), and the unclassifiable music of Tuatara. Barrett's solo work has a meditative feel where ideas slowly unfold over initial and subsequent listens. On "Agbadza," as an insistent groove is set up, a series of arpeggios provides harmonic underpinning. As parts of the main theme are repeated and transformed (I'm thinking of Martin's use of vibraphone and steel drums), other players swoop in to take impressive and impressively unified solos. Particularly effective are Craig Flory on flute and Dave Carter on trumpet and flugelhorn. As you might expect, Martin holds it all together with grace and fluidity behind the kit.

Reviewer: Mark Saleski

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  • 1 Josh Hathaway // Apr 12, 2009 at 03:21 PM
    This has long been one of my favorite Barrett Martin compositions. Excellent work.