Speck of Dust

The back of the inlay card bears the mention "AfroNuclearWavabillyFunk-SwingReggaeTurskaBand," and it's as good a description as any. Led by the multi-reedist Rev. Dwight Frizzell, this group (the word "troupe" would also be fitting) proposes an endearing take on Sun Ra's cosmic jazz. Imagine, if you will, a band featuring African percussion, shakuhachi (a Japanese bamboo flute), Turkish lavta, harmonica, viola da gamba, a vintage Serge synthesizer, and lap steel guitar, alongside reeds (saxes, clarinets, and various traditional instruments) and a rhythm section. Imagine a band churning up highly original arrangements of tunes by Sun Ra, Duke Ellington, Afro Nationale, and Erik Satie (!). The latter's Troisième Gymnopédie provides the disc's opener, it's gentle, otherworldly melody accompanied by lap steel and set upon a smooth calypso groove. Then comes "Astro Caravan," or Ellington revisited by Sun Ra, with lyrics sung by lead singer Monique Danielle, a powerful, soulful voice. Ra's "Walking On the Moon" and "Love in Outer Space" hit closer to the originals, but Afro Nationale's "Gowa" steals the show, its energy unmatched elsewhere on the disc. The group's original tunes have a hard time competing with the covers, but "Pale Blue Dot," "Blue Momo" (a highlight), and the anthemic closer "In the Night" are very good selections. Resting on a stable seven-piece core (Danielle, Frizzell, reedists Thomas Aber and Alonzo Conway, guitarist Julia Thro, bassist Mark Thies, and drummer Allaudin Ottinger, all doubling on percussion) and a cast of a dozen guests, BCR's sound is ample, rich, and contagious. Released on the tiny imprint Sparkling Beatnik, Speck of Dust deserves to find a wider audience. It has the quality and appeal to do so. ~ François Couture, Rovi