Continuing their strong run of solid experimental jazz records, Toronto’s Drumheller provide us with another charming yet misbehaving song-cycle with their new record Glint. Featuring Eric Chenaux on guitar, Rob Clutton on double bass, Nick Fraser on drums, Doug Tielli on trombone and Brodie West on alto sax, the record fits well with their previous two discs, while displaying the band growing into each other as a whole. For the first time, Drumheller comes across as more than just a collection of jazz musicians, as they cement themselves further as one cohesive unit. The songs on Glint really play off of each other well, resulting in a record that works as a whole. While there are certainly high points—most notably the Brodie West composition “Nifac63charlie” and the 14-minute-plus Clutton track “Hunter”—no song on the record sounds out of place. In a way, this cohesiveness is what is most exciting about this disc. While Glint consists of the playfulness and the profound use of harmonic textures evident in earlier releases (Eric Chenaux and Nick Fraser are their usual brilliant selves), for the first time Drumheller actually sound like a true band, which is a pleasure to hear. (Rat-Drifting, www.rat-drifting.com) Jeff Friesen
Winnipeg music & culture since 1989