Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Birdsongs Of The Mesozoic: Petrophonics

243

Birdsongs Of The Mesozoic: Petrophonics

By

View read count
Birdsongs Of The Mesozoic: Petrophonics
With their 10th recording titled Petrophonics, Boston Massachusetts based “Birdsongs Of The Mesozoic” have perhaps achieved the pinnacle of mastery with this truly superb newly released effort. Here, pianist/composer Erik Lindgren and woodwind specialist Ken Field cap off a string of successful solo ventures as the duo realigns with guitarist Michael Bierylo and synthesizer ace Rick Scott for the band’s latest and first effort in over five years.

“BOTM” continues to defy any rigid semblance of categorization yet surge onward with new material and ensemble work that crosses many boundaries as these crafty artisans continually maintain a group sound that is arguably one of a kind. Throughout these well-conceived and expertly performed arrangements, the band pursues airy voicings with a rough hewn edge marked by a few nods to classicism and the finer attributes of – archetypal - progressive rock. Whimsical themes amid Ken Field’s often majestic flute work and Lindgren’s semi-austere chord progressions rekindle thoughts of Erik Satie on the delightful and memorably melodic pieces titled, “Time Marches On Theme” and “Gravity Theme” from the multipart opus, “Music Inspired By 1001 Real Apes”. The musicians sculpt climactic motifs and complex rhythms on the title cut, “Petrophonics”, whereas Field, again performing on flute, blows feathery lines atop heavy handed beats and symmetrical patterns on “The Insidious Revenge Of Ultima Thule – Part 1”.

- No filler material to be found among these energetic pastiches of sound as every track stands on its own in a huge way! And while many of these compositions boast multilayered passages, dynamic rhythms and poignant soloing, the band captures one’s imagination with memorable melodies, crunching ensemble work and truly spirited interplay as the strong writing often spawns wonderment. Ultimately, Petrophonics contains all the earmarks of a timeless classic and one that might rejuvenate the musical spirits from within, as this is one of those rare recordings that imparts a lasting impression. ( Cuneiform Records ) ( Birdsongs Of The Mesozoic ) ( Interview with Ken Field )

Personnel

Birdsongs of the Mesozoic
band / ensemble / orchestra
Ken Field
saxophone
Rick Scott
keyboards

Album information

Title: Petrophonics | Year Released: 2000 | Record Label: Cuneiform Records

Tags

Comments


PREVIOUS / NEXT




Support All About Jazz

Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.

More

Eternal Moments
Yoko Yates
From "The Hellhole"
Marshall Crenshaw
Tramonto
John Taylor

Popular

Old Home/New Home
The Brian Martin Big Band
My Ideal
Sam Dillon
Ecliptic
Shifa شفاء - Rachel Musson, Pat Thomas, Mark Sanders
Lado B Brazilian Project 2
Catina DeLuna & Otmaro Ruíz

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.

Install All About Jazz

iOS Instructions:

To install this app, follow these steps:

All About Jazz would like to send you notifications

Notifications include timely alerts to content of interest, such as articles, reviews, new features, and more. These can be configured in Settings.