Fans of
the Rippingtons' live performances might be a little miffed at the mellow demeanor of the first solo outing by the band's wildman percussion/soundscapist
Steve Reid. But as
Reid's liner notes hint, it's his intention to take a journey through the Bamboo Forest, and this is a place of romance, mystery and exotic images, no splashy thunderstorms. Despite expert use of at least a hundred world beat toys,
Reid doesn't exactly push his pulse rate past mid range. Rather, he writes thoughtful, cool and fanciful tunes that sort of waft off the disc instead of jump. He often doubles effectively as a synthesist, aiming for mood and texture rather than percussive insanity. The real stars here are the flutes of fellow Ripps
Jeff Kashiwa and
Sheridon Stokes, tender acoustic guitars by
David Patt and
Pat Kelley, and provocative vocal jaunts by
Bill Cantos and
Kevyn Lettau. It's not as exciting a coming out party as might be expected from such a rhythm ace, but
Reid's music is often as beautiful as the astounding cover art on this mystical disc. ~ Jonathan Widran