Alex Cline
Continuation
Cryptogramophone Records
By George W. Harris

LA-based Alex Cline has made a living as one of the leading avant-garde drummer percussionists for the past 30 years. I review this disc as one who is not the greatest advocate of this type of music. Too often, it resorts to self-indulgent cacophony. At it’s best, as in this release, it can transcend all genres of music with beauty, joy, fervor and elegance. Yes, there are a couple of moments of dissonance and ricocheting rhythms, but for the most part, the music has long drawn out moments of undulating beauty. Violinist Jeff Gauthier, cellist Peggy Lee and bassist Scott Walton create a velvet canopy during panoramic tunes like “Nourishing Our Roots” or “On The Bones of the Homegoing Thunder.” Myra Melford’s harmonium on “Clearing Our Streams” seques a medieval mood into a fiery and festive street dance. The music throughout the disc is imbedded with nuances and reflective moods that are perfect for a sunrise stroll. On a side note, the recording is engineered to perfection: you can hear Walton sniffling during his bass solo, but with avant-garde, you never really know if that was intentional or not.

If you’re one who’s never heard music from the ou tside, this would be a great place to put your toe into the water