Being the drummer of Medeski, Martin & Wood has its’ perks. Like the disposable income to re-release this obscure duet album with G. Calvin Weston (Prime Time Band, Ulmer). It’s a good thing ’cause Percussion Duets is a veritable moveable feast of rhythmic improvisation/extrapolation/sensation.
In the hands of masters who just wanna have fun, two sets of trap drums, hand percussion and a drum machine can rock the world. Two highlights: “Juju Fruit”‘s JB fatback beat/N’Awlins second line juke criss-cross that mutates into an Allman Brothers-out rock jam, “Top-Side City”‘s playful go-go swing-to-drum battle-to-funky soft-shoe shuffle.
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