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Otowala: Otowala

Otowala sounds like its got all the right moves: dexterous keyboard excursions, fleety basslines, nimble drumming and a general aversion to anything commercial. Somehow, the jammy nature of the compositions tends to undermine this affair. Often enough, the trio — pianist Michiro Negishi, bassist John O' Reilly, drummer Steve Zieminski — succumbs to some impulsive vamping.

In addition to acoustic and electric pianos, Negishi favors cheesy synth sounds — his indulgences may be intentional but the music doesn't escape unscathed. The starter, "Sock," proves this right off the bat: a slick Rhodes solo is prefaced by a dittoed triad on a shrill string patch. Negishi then summons a quirky accordion for "Halo" before he engages in a long piano jaunt that circles in on itself like the Ourobouros. The sweetly buoyant interlude in "Hydroplane" and the acoustic piano-xylo duet "Crocodile Smile" are moves in the right direction. The same can be said for "Shatardi Express" with its adherence to acoustic piano and Zieminski's switch to tablas.

Unfortunately, O'Reilly's bass tends to get lost beneath Negishi's keyboarding and Zieminski's drumming. "All Too Human" is one of the better compositions and it's O'Reilly's. The funkalicious bassline adequately distracts from Negishi's extended solo on another tasteless synth timbre that sounds like a refugee from a Kawai K5. "Autumn '91" is another bass-centric exercise that makes it out alive, but one of his other comps, "Autumn '05" is stained by yet another daft choice of synth color. At least it's saved somewhat by a bass solo. Wisely chosen to close the gap, "With Intention" is another improv that emphasizes acoustic piano and no additional samples.

There's no doubt these players are very good. Still, there's a lot of unrealized potential where Otowala's debut is concerned. Perhaps Album Two will notch a higher level of instrumental complexity and cohesion.

Tracks:
1. Sock (5:08)
2. Hydroplane (4:45)
3. Crocodile Smile (4:15)
4. Halo (7:15)
5. All Too Human (4:57)
6. Autumn '91 (5:25)
7. Alphabetical Order (4:03)
8. Dear Ndugu (4:35)
9. Autumn '05 (4:18)
10. Shatabdi Express (6:15)
11. With Intention (8:14)

Added: July 18th 2013
Reviewer: Elias Granillo
Score:
Related Link: StephenZieminski.com
Hits: 1652
Language: english

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