Dylan Ryan is a drummer adept at combining his jazz skills with adventurous rock, resulting in music that maintains the cerebral and visceral qualities of both styles. A man of many projects, he’s probably best known for his work with Herculaneum, a Chicago-based ensemble that’s heavy on horns and inventive grooves.
Sand finds him in a trio with guitarist Tim Young (John Zorn) and bassist Devin Hoff (the Nels Cline Singers). The set is split almost evenly between the drummer’s compositions-engaging guitar melodies delivered with the heft of prog-rock-and group improvs that succeed whether they’re gentle (“Soft Rain on a Dead Sea”) or vicious (“Mayan Sun”), primarily because they cover a lot of space in five minutes or less. The extra surprise arrives with Paul Motian’s “White Magic,” which the trio boldly turns into a howling blast of surf-rock.
Dylan Ryan/Sand: Sky Bleached
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