Turbulence and Pulse

Album review

Taking its title from an online discussion during the pandemic called "Poesis," where poet and scholar Fred Moten described Asher Gamedze's drumming as an "amazing interplay between turbulence and pulse," the South African's second album again plumbs the depths of change and stasis, past and present, gratitude and acceptance. Following his excellent and much-praised 2020 debut Dialectic Soul, the drummer/composer/bandleader spent the isolation of the next few years composing another strong collection. Despite its intimidating intellectual underpinnings, Turbulence and Pulse is a very accessible exploration of free jazz crossed with a healthy respect and desire to expand the boundaries of western post-bop followings. 

Overall, an exploration of the concept of "historical motion" underlies the 13 tracks with the drummer explaining, "Time in music is a metaphor for thinking about time in history and how time moves." In title track opener Gamedze accompanies his own running monologue that continues the discussion with phrases like "a sense of ensemble time," "time and how it moves is produced by people working together" and "[to] live in our own sense of time."

Gamedze begins to show his instrumental inventiveness in "Wynter Time" by jangling sleigh bells throughout the tune where trumpeter Robbie Fassie and saxophonist Buddy Wells join repeatedly for a slow theme. He's also joined throughout by bassist Thembinkosi Mavimbela and also by vocalist Julian Otis, who sings in English before launching into impassioned wordless soarings, on "Sometimes I Think to Myself."

Cross rhythms power "Locomotion" as this collection settles into a more conventional groove with "If It Rains, To Pursue Truth," where both the bells and the dual horns playing the same theme return. The final three tracks—less rhythmic, more contemplative live versions of songs from the album—were recorded on a Cairo rooftop with a different band that includes the alto sax of Alan Bishop and synth player Maurice Louca. More conventional than might be expected given the thoughts and ambitions of its creator, Turbulence and Pulse is more proof that jazz is truly global music. © Robert Baird/Qobuz