Search - Billy Martin, Calvin G. Weston :: Percussion Duets

Great for drummers, laymen should try something else

The Delite Rancher | Phoenix, Arizona | 01/01/2008

(2 out of 5 stars)

"My review is a real contrast to the other glowing write-ups. Before you slam the "not helpful" button, hear me out and remember that the button does not ask if you agree or disagree with a review, but whether it's helpful or not. I hope that this will be helpful in offering a different point-of-view on "Percussion Duets." First off, I want to establish that Billy Martin is my favorite drummer. I'd follow him off a cliff and I have most of his solo releases like the ill B Eats discs and the accompanying remixes. All of that established, "Percussion Duets" just isn't a listenable album. Most listeners coming from a Medeski, Martin and Wood school of music will find this tiresome. It will only appeal to practicing drummers who want to study Martin and Weston's technique. There are reasons for this lack of accessibility. There is little production to speak of as the recordings sound unaltered or polished. The album sounds like the record button just happen to be pressed when Martin and Weston were warming up for something else. Therefore it sounds like a private jam session, not a polished artistic expression that was intended for public consumption. Calling the pieces 'compositions' would be an exaggeration since there is almost no form to the rhythmic vignettes. Considering this, it seems odd that the tracks even have titles. The avant-garde selections make an already difficult listen even harder. Beyond all of this, the rhythm just isn't very compelling. Granted, there are times when the groove is fantastic and the improvisation soars. 'Ogun' is one such highlight. For the most part though, "Percussion Duets" sounds like one too many traps that are yearning for musical help. There are times when electronic drum machines, hand drums and percussion are employed, but it's too little, too late. I'm sure that Martin and Weston had a hoot making this album. The fact that they put together a live successor is confirmation of how they enjoy each other's company. That just makes this release self-indulgent. I predict that Billy Martin fanatics (which I generally belong) will vote this review down as unhelpful. They won't do this because they've listened to the album more than three times, but because "there's nothing Billy Martin could ever make that would earn anything less than four stars and emphatic praise." I've had my say and I hope that I've layed out some of the qualities and challenges to this release. My hope is that this review will steer drum jocks to "Percussion Duets" and warn all others to try something else."

Illyb eats with calvin g.

kyle | connecticut | 10/07/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This record is a must for any Billy Martin lover, such as myself. Billy and Calvin G. Weston mix it up with a few super grooving tracks with the two on drum kit. The way they play off of each other is pretty incredible, lots of suffled sixteenth note feeling grooves over pretty simple but hot beats. Top-Side City is a real laid back track where billy plays the main groove, and Calvin does his thang. Juju Fruit is probably my favorite drum kit-featured track. A bit quicker paced, but their communication, rhythmically, is still amazing. Migration is an avant-garde drum kit, hand percussion, and metal percussion track that has quite a feel underneath everything that's going on. The other tracks consist mainly of some west african sounding grooves and jams. My favorite of those is called malabe, a lot of wooden percussion as well as talking drums are used here. the wood sounds are used to create the feel, so syncopated, and so funky -- and the talking drums make the track feel really wet and give it a sort of melodic quality as well. I could keep going, but the more i listen to this record the more i think it's better to just pick up and listen to than listen to me rant and rave about how great it is. Everything on it is really sweet, especially the couple tracks of Audio from an interview with Baby Dodds. The only not as interesting tracks on the album, are the electronic drum machine tunes. A little on the cheesy side. BUT, that's only beatbox 1 and 2. And perhaps you'll LIKE its sappy sequenced sound of salsa! ok, bye. buy this album."