Fabio Rambelli/Dirk Wachtelaer-The Turning Point; Edgetone Records 2024

 

Quite memorable, the first time that Disaster Amnesiac heard the sho, an ancient Japanese mouth organ, on a recording of Gagaku music. I was a student at the time, and professor Richard Kaplan had inspired me to do deep digs into various forms of music from all over the world. Trips to the music section of San Francisco Public Library turned into obsessive searches for any and all available examples of such. Recall sitting in my room within a Western Addition flat utterly transfixed by the otherworldly sounds of the form. So primordial and yet simultaneously modern, especially the tones of the sho. Perhaps Fabio Rambelli had similar initial experiences with the instrument? However he first became aware of the sho, he's obviously spent a great deal of time learning the instrument, and to the delight of this listener, he's documenting his work on releases such as last year's The Turning Point. Over fourteen tracks in duet with drummer Dirk Wachtelaer, Fabio explores the serene and surreal tones that can be coaxed from this magnificent invention of bamboo and free reed. Free indeed is the interplay of the two improvisors, especially the playing from Dirk. His drum kit explorations, using sticks, mallets, brushes, and some sort of rubbing device push Rambelli into areas by turns introspective and cool or wildly expressive; within any of the achieved sonic zones, both evince control and and the willingness to explore the varied modes within which they find themselves. Disaster Amnesiac has heard East Asian ritual music and the Blues, Avant-Garde improvisation and village festival Folk forms. For this listener the sho can conjure up feelings of solemness, and those vibes definitely occur on The Turning Point as well, but there are also zones of abandon and maybe even whimsy that are reached within the interplay of two seasoned improvisors. It's all really nicely documented with clean recording and even mixing and wrapped within a cover that has sumptuous, intriguing art. Fans of adventurous musical blends will want to seek out The Turning Point. Deep stuff here from Fabio Rambelli and Dirk Wachtelaer.