Arnal, Jeff / Beeferman, Gordon

Bodies of Water

Label: Generate Records Country: USA

Beginning with a morose and dense low-register exercise and maintaining a weighty ambiance throughout, the duo of percussionist Arnal and pianist Beeferman presents an energized ritual of free expression on Bodies of Water. Beeferman is fully liberated pianist who sprinkles in fragments of high-end improvisations but continually reverts to the lower keys to make his emphatic, jagged-edges statements. His left hand is a dominant force in portraying an overcast atmosphere laden with dark clouds. Arnal exerts his percussion influence in a comparable manner with emphasis on deeper tones and heavily punctuated responses often interjected at a slower tempo. The program appears to be a spontaneous creation by the artists who probe into unlit corners and explore an underworld of sound filled with foreboding warnings of doom.

Lightness of heart does not seem to exist in this music, yet its compelling draw forces one deeper into their world. Their Mephistophelean command over the performance is hypnotic. Arnal's ritualistic beating of the toms and the mesmerizing effect of Beeferman's intensity have a gravitational pull on the senses. The pace frequently approaches full-throttle speed, only to be corralled by the prodding and methodical piano pronouncements and the sobering drum beat. Arnal and Beeferman may view the world through heavily tinted glasses, but they do produce music with muscle and appeal. It won't improve an already depressed mood but it will enhance one's appreciation for improvised creativity."-Frank Rubolino, Cadence