April 1998

Abbey Rader/Philip Gelb
Mystic Journey
Abray Productions

By Willard Jenkins

Abbey Rader is a percussionist who uses his drum kit as a point of departure, a sort of launching pad in his free form improvisations. Seeking unfettered dialogues, for this session he recruited flutist Philip Gelb. The tracks range from the contemplative to boundaryless improvisation that recalls earlier manifestations of the jazz avant garde. Philip Gelb's shakuhachi incantations wear thin upon repeated listens, with a sameness of timbre and approach that bores one rather quickly.