Pat Thomas
Hikmah
(TAO Forms) taoforms.bandcamp.com/album/hikmah
An album can deliver a lot of promise, expectation or suspense within its opening moments. Hikmah, the new solo release by English (via Antiguan parents) pianist Pat Thomas is case in point. If the volume is up too high, the upper-upper register notes from the piano might make you jump as he strikes them quickly. This title track, taken from the Arabic word for "wisdom," indicates that such an idea comes through work and exploration, not through easy answers. Likewise, the piece proceeds with the right hand coming down a few octaves before long, trying to decide of the interactive between his ten fingers feels ominous or deeply meditative. The journey is the purpose here.
"For Joe Gallivan" starts in a similar manner, with dissonant left-hand chords clashing with theright hand after some high plinks. In his liner notes, William Parker calls Gallivan an unsung drummer and points of the Latin feel of Thomas' playing. It's not a blatent Latin groove, but the rhythmic quality does move in and out of the performance.
The five other tracks features titles that pay tribute to other artists or acknowledge Thomas' Sufi practices. They all feel deeply personal, going in surprising directions. "For McCoy Tyner" does not channel the legendary pianist's style. Instead Thomas explores the inner body of the piano, striking and muffling a low note repetitively while scraping the strings in rhythm. He produces a deep sigh at the start of "Luqman the Wise," which feels more like a four-minute meditation where the unplayed notes sit equally with the barely audible (without a volume increase) blend of vibrating, plucked strings.
"The Shehu" and "Sheikh Amadou Bamba" both feature turbulent rhythms (the former almost like a blunt stride) that produce some engrossing work. The latter track, like "For Caroline L. Karcher," gets a little dense sonically, but the way it resolves makes the heaviness stand out for the contrast it provides.
If Hikmah might be considered a challenging listen, it's important to remember the quest for wisdom itself is challenging as well. And well worth the effort.
Posts
