Miles Okazaki's compositions sound like he's creating an elaborate portrait from mosaic, octagon-shaped tiles. His style of play is dense, weaving around in his phrases with so many loops and curlicues, it's dizzying. There's a lot going on under the surface, and even the surface is still pretty busy. That his work isn't too top heavy, most particularly his latest album-- … [Read more...]
Miles Okazaki – “Mischief Maker” (Stream)
Guitarist Miles Okazaki can get (unfortunately the pun was not intended) tricky. As a composer, he encompasses a sound that spirals constantly until one may feel things could get out of control, but he manages to keep both hands on the steering wheel. Even as a player with Steve Coleman and the Five Elements or other groups that trod the roads of unclear melodies, Okazaki has … [Read more...]
Steve Coleman and the Council of Balance – ‘Synovial Joints’
Steve Coleman has always been a musician who could find the rhythm in anything. His compositions would seem to indicate his soul is a metronome. Steve Coleman's work has always seemed to exhibit finding the tune of the universe and all its disparate parts, as difficult as that concept may be to articulate. This description may not even be the best way to describe his work, but … [Read more...]