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"...The possiblities of expanding the duties of modern drumming also becomes apparent. Primitive fire reminiscient of African native drumming is essential. Complete dynamic control is a must. Modern polyrhythmic conception beyond the dactylic timeworn approach is a necessity. To the drummer belongs the world of Edgar Varese and his realm of raw sounds. The use of friction devices, chains, anvils and sirens is not a crazy, far-fetched idea for a jazzman. It is rapidly nearing reality."
(from the liner notes)
I write this based on my somewhat worn vinyl copy of "Primitive Modern". I found it in a thrift store for 50 cents and have thanked the powers that be every day that I had such luck. As the quote above indicates, Gil Melle and his outfit were serious about rhythm and doing interesting things with rhythm. Listen, for instance, to "Ironworks." There's a triangle, showcased solo, alongside all the normal jazz trappings and belting out its own rhythmic figure, which is proceeded and followed by various other rhythmic figures. Such an advanced sense of rhythm is hard to find these days and it has insipired me to push my music rhythmically beyond the tired and worn-out dull throbbing of modern music.
All that revolution, of course, would be hard to swallow if this wasn't great jazz. While "Ironworks" starts out startling, it settles into a groove for the choruses that anyone can dig. "Ballet Time" is straight-ahead (well, as straight-ahead as a Gil Melle composition can be) mid-tempo, starting off with some excellent solo guitar chords that immediately give me that "oh yeah" feeling I get from good jazz. Cool.
I can't speak for the Quadrama tracks included on the CD beyond the audio clips listed here. However, from the sound of things it's definitely Melle and seriously groovy. "Walter Ego" sounds particularly intriguing, with all sorts of twists and turns before things settle a bit on the chorus.
On the basis of the "Primitive Modern" tracks alone I highly recommend this album. If it affects you the way it affected me, it'll fundamentally alter your concept of rhythm.
