Short Reviews [Zhongyu - 2016 - "Zhongyu"]

Composer Jon Davis (Chapman Stick, guzheng, Mellotron, ARP 2600) lived in Beijing for nearly three years, immersing himself in the music scene while he was there, and when he later moved to Seattle he tried to find musicians who would stimulate his brain. It was not long before he came across musical adventurer Dennis Rea, guitarist with Moraine, and they realised they had shared ideals (Rea also lived in China, and I highly recommend his excellent book, ‘Live at the Forbidden City: Musical Encounters in China and Taiwan’). This allowed Davis to use a band to fulfill his dreams and “Zhongyu” is Mandarin for “Finally”. Joining Jon are three members of Moraine, namely Dennis Rea (electric guitar, resonator guitar), Alicia DeJoie (electric violin) and James DeJoie (baritone saxophone, flute, bass clarinet) along with drummer and percussionist Randy Doak and guest trumpeter Daniel Barry. Anyone who has been reading my reviews over the years will know how much I rate Dennis Rea’s ‘Views from Chicheng Precipice’, and in many ways this is a sequel album to that one in that yet again we find musicians blending traditional Chinese styles and instruments with Western ones to create a hybrid which crosses musical and geograohic boundaries. This is not music which will ever be commercially acceptable or viable, but has been produced by musicians who really care about the different styles they are bringing together and treat everything with the right amount of reverence and respect. Alicia is a revelation on this, changing her style totally so one could imagine we are in China, while Dennis is his normal exemplary self, never resting and seeing where he can add nuances and touches and while he can sit happily within a genre he is also incredibly adept at pushing boundaries so we can go from something which sounds traditional Chinese into “Cat Hair All Over It” which is dramatic avant garde. The result is something which pushes boundaries and blends together different cultures in a way which is fascinating and totally enjoyable.