Home »
Jazz Articles » Album Review » Roger Smith & Louis Moholo-Moholo: The Butterfly and the Bee
Roger Smith & Louis Moholo-Moholo: The Butterfly and the Bee
Former Brotherhood of Breath drummer Louis Moholo and British free-form acoustic guitarist Roger Smith lay their cards out on the table during this extremely attractive studio set. Essentially, neither man acts as an antagonist here. It's more about intrinsic communication, topped off with acutely enacted improvisations featuring great depth and variable rhythmic maneuvers. Moholo's complex drumming parameters are counterbalanced with his alternating use of small percussion instruments. They pursue mechanisms for altering flows and pulses in areas where Smith's buzzing lines or fervent strumming sequences parallel Moholo's asymmetrical movements.
The duo tones it down in spots. For example, on the 24-minute opener and title track, Smith executes a discrete ostinato groove which is expounded upon by Moholo's lightly-tapping tom-tom movements. In addition, the musicians occasionally generate hypnotic effects and low-key subtleties. However, there is so much going on throughout these superb performances that it would literally take volumes of text to accurately describe the inexact science these men pronounce. Sure, it may seem like a paradox, but that's where part of the beauty lies. It's chiefly about the improvised modus operandi these fellows abide by that intimates a rather successful component to the grand scheme of matters. Or chalk it up to music with a sense of purpose amid a positively charged identity that yields a state of free-form bliss! (Zealously recommended.)
Track Listing
The Butterfly and the Bee, Enclosed Sun, Webern in Africa, Letters to Insects, Involuntary Sculptures, Events that Rhyme, Uncancelled
Personnel
Roger Smith, guitar; Louis Moholo-Moholo, percussion
Album information
Title: The Butterfly And The Bee
| Year Released: 2005
| Record Label: Emanem
PREVIOUS / NEXT
Support All About Jazz

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.