Meridian Odyssey: Second Wave
ByOpening with "Interlake," written by the group's drummer, Xavier Lecouturier, Meridian displays an immediacy and energy, a sort of Chick Corea Elektric Band polish; it features Budde's intricate guitar work inside the rhythm section's controlled turmoil, before a shift into an easing off of the intensity into a contemplative sax turn by Santosh Sharma, as the group re-cranks the energy level back up to the top notch. "F Minus" is a Budde composition that shouts collectively then pulls back to let Budde's guitar shimmer on a tune which makes a brash, sometimes agitated statement. "Quarantine Blues," written by Budde and keyboardist Dylan Hayes, opens with Ben Feldman's brief, yearning bass solo, then slips into a smooth, slow-tempo flow, six minutes of relative repose before the quintet goes into some high-heat cooking on Jim Knapp's "Looking Ahead."
"NT," another Budde / Hayes tune, exudes a hopeful glow, while bassist Feldman's "For Antongiulio" explores a melancholy moodscape. The album closes with saxophonist Santosh Sharma's "Second Wave," with guest guitarist Lucas Winter and pianist Gus Carns sitting in. Sharma blows hot, as the rhythm section crafts a cool backdrop, wrapping up a very promising debut, as the plane, presumably, regains its shelter, if only temporarily.
Track Listing
Interlake; F Minus; Quarantine Blues; Looking Ahead; NT; For Antongiulio; Second Wave.
Personnel
Meridian Odyssey: band / orchestra; Santosh Sharma: saxophone, tenor; Martin Budde: guitar; Dylan Hayes: keyboards; Ben Feldman: bass; Xavier Lecouturier: drums.
Additional Instrumentation
Lucas Winter: guitar (7); Gus Carns: piano (7).
Album information
Title: Second Wave | Year Released: 2021 | Record Label: Origin Records
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Instrument: Band / orchestra
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