This double album by Quin Kirchner is a revelry of percussion. In The Shadows and the Light, the drummer from Chicago combines original tracks with a careful selection of covers, paying homage to his musical influences such as Carla Bley (King Korn), Sun Ra (Sahara) and Frank Foster (At This Point in Time, which was included in Elvin Jones' Prime element). "My favourite albums have always been the ones that take the listener on a journey. I aim to do that, to create worlds with my albums - universes. [...] I'm influenced by so many different styles of creative music and I like to try and bring all those influences into harmony on these records". It's an approach that sees Kirchner take on various compositions by Charles Mingus and Sun Ra, whose style and ideas shine through on the album. From solo to septet with bassist Matt Ulery, saxophonists Nate Lepine, Greg Ward and Nick Mazzarella, pianist Rob Clearfield, clarinettist Jason Stein and trombonist Nick Broste, Kirchner delights in playing around with Afro-Cuban rhythms (Batá Chop) as well as gospel, bordering on free improvisation (the end of At This Point In Time) and semi-exotic interludes (Rift). Playing mainly in a group, at no time does the jam-packed The Shadows and the Light, trance-like and spiritual, sound like a typical drummers album. © Marc Zisman/Qobuz