Label: Fuzzy Music
As an educator in addition to long being one of the most advanced
musicians in and out of jazz, Peter Erskine’s proficiency on drums is
inarguably at the doctorate level.
Belatedly taking up a quarter-century old suggestion from an old friend,
Erskine created a ‘new’ persona of himself as the PhD-accredited
linchpin for his newest album
Dr. Um, out January 15, 2016 through Erskine’s own Fuzzy Music imprint.
This new persona is really the old Peter Erskine that fusion fans
were attracted to from his days in Weather Report and Steps Ahead, two
of the genre’s most advanced outfits. But since then, Erskine’s exploits
have been predominantly on the straight ahead and egghead side of jazz
(he had become a regular on ECM both as a leader and a sideman) while
continuing to participate in high-profile studio dates with the likes of
Barbra Streisand, Kate Bush and Michael Bublé. With
Dr. Um returns to his RnB and rock-jazz drumming that dominated his mindset for much of the 70s and 80s.
From 1978 to 1982, Erskine was in Weather Report, alongside bass
legend Jaco Pastorius and of course the mainstays Joe Zawinul and Wayne
Shorter, the most celebrated configuration of this constantly evolving
group. About half of the tracks on
Dr. Um consciously conjure up
the spirit of that band at that time, in a way only someone on the
inside could do it. Much as original WR bassist Miroslav Vitous
demonstrated what Version One of the band was about
with remembering Weather Report ,
Erskine does his own remembering from a different phase, one where
gurgling Wurlitzers, dense Third World rhythms and funky bass lines
peacefully co-existed with the exuberant swing of classic jazz.
Indeed, “Hawaii Bathing Suit” is a lesson on how to making electric
jazz swing like its 1949. Saxophonist Bob Sheppard and keyboard player
(and co-producer with Erskine) John Beasley turn in strong solos amid
Erskine’s boss pulse, especially during Sheppard’s Michael Brecker
influenced tenor sax break. Sheppard leaves behind Shorter-like quips
for “Lost Page” over a very smooth and slinky groove.
A Weather Report cover comes from the 1982 self-titled album, the
last one featuring Erskine: “Speechless” is one of Zawinul’s sensitive
ballads, and bassist Janek Gwizdala projects the soulfully melancholy of
Pastorius’ original lead part. Stripped of Zawinul’s lush synth
harmonics, the band (with Beasley on piano and organ instead) exposes
the beauty at the kernel of the song. “Bourges Buenos Aires” is a
Zawinul song that gestated during Erskine’s time with him; a
well-written melody with a vocal-like synth line as the lead voice and
comped with an oscillating electric piano, it’s got a dead-on 1978 vibe.
But Erskine dives into other areas of fun jazz, like the intimate
Hammond B3 organ trio excursion with Beasley and Sheppard for the
soul-jazz delight “Okraphilia,” or the Crusader’s hard type of soul
found on “Sage Hands” featuring tasty guitar handiwork from Jeff Parker.
Larry Koonse is the guitarist on hand for the West Coast adaptation of
Vince Mendoza’s “Sprite,” and Koonse works well in tandem with Beasley’s
lissome piano.
Erskine himself is mostly content to lead from behind, but makes his
rare spotlights memorable, especially during “Northern Cross,” where he
adds discriminating accents to his shuffle, choosing the veteran’s path
of being gently commanding instead of overly dominant.
And as of that guy who came up with the “Dr. Um” concept all those
years ago: Jack Fletcher is a theater director who has worked with
Erskine on film scores, and he lends his voice to a few short spoken
word pieces sprinkled throughout the album. More importantly, he helped
Peter Erskine realize that the drummer who is capable of taking on any
role he wants behind his drum set makes his best music when he takes on
the role of simply being himself.
Victor Aaron
1 You're Next
2 Lost Page
3 Hawaii Bathing Suit
4 Bourges Buenos Aires
5 Little Fun K
6 Mahler
7 Sage Hands
8 Okraphilia
9 Speechless
10 Sprite
11 Northern Cross
12 You Awake
Peter Erskine
John Beasley
Janek Gwizdala
Larry Koonse
Bob Sheppard
Jeff Parker
Aaron Sefarty
