DHARMA DOWN

OWL DREAMS

Dharma Down Records

Duncan Hardy, alto saxophone/Qanun; Mike Effenberger, piano; Scott Kiefner, acoustic bass; John Mettam, drums.

On the first tune, this music is quite Asian influenced. In their press package, it is said that the Dharma Down group is drawing on their eclectic backgrounds and passions to deliver an adventure spanning centuries and the globe.  Meet the band.  Duncan Hardy is an active performer on saxophone around the New England music scene.  After moving to Portland, Maine, he began to explore music from Eastern Europe, the Middle East and India. He attended the Arabic Music Retreat.  There, he was mentored by violin virtuoso, Simon Shaheen and Qanun master, Jamal Sinno.  He also studied with UCLA professor Dr. Ali Jihad Racy and in 2013, worked with Thelonius Monk Competition winner and drummer, Steve Grover.

Keyboardist Mike Effenberger received the Young Beacon in Jazz award from New School University in New York City, graduating in 2005. Effenberger’s unique voice on the piano blossomed from study with Jane Ira Bloom, Reggie Workman, Fred Hersch, and Joanne Brackeen.  He also draws from American gospel music, minimalism, and jazz.

Scott Kiefner is the bassist in Dharma Down. On their tune “Baghdad” you hear his bold tone on double bass as he sings the song’s melody, both solo and in unison with Hardy’s saxophone. Kiefner has a love of ‘metal’ music and the Avant-garde.

New York drummer, John Mettam, plays multiple musical genres, and is quite a chameleon on his axe. However, on “Owl Dreams,” this ensemble’s debut album, he settles into music reflecting Arabic traditions, interspersed with American Jazz and East Indian music. With his drums, he helps to create a sound that is both world music and jazz. The ten tracks are all original compositions.  The tune called “Ex One Blues” (written by Hardy) is one of my favorites, reminding me of Yusef Lateef in one breath and John Coltrane in another. Both of those extraordinary artists explored Eastern philosophy and music.

The tune “A Murder of Cheerleaders” (composed by Effenberger) sounds ominous and scary at the onset.  The saxophone (or is that a Qanun instrument?) makes a musical scream at the top of the tune.  As the song progresses, Duncan Hardy’s sax reaches into its lower register to tremble and flutter, then soars like bats disturbed from a deep, dark resting place.  The Qanun is a type of zither, large with a thin trapezoidal sound, unique for its melodramatic sound effect.  I am pretty sure that’s what I hear in this drama-soaked piece of music. On the videos included, you see the Qanun lying on the chair next to the saxophone player.

This is an album that should be commercially successful in many parts of the world.  It is driven by the freedom of American jazz, but it is saturated with Middle Eastern, minor key compositions, and Eastern Asian influences.  It will be released to the public on October 11, 2024.

Reviewed by Dee Dee McNeil

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