Blake, Michael: Michael Blake - Drift

The brilliant second album after Blake's smash debut ''Kingdom Of Champa''. This release is sure to satisfy any and all expectations one my have towards the successor of ''Kingdom Of Champa'', even though Steven Bernstein, Marcus Rojas and Slow Poke-member Tony Scherr are the only musicians of the ''Champa''-LineUp appearing this time around: ''Drift'' is a wunderful piece of music, full of atmosphere, shrewd humor and playfully displayed skill. Apt examples are the african inspired ''Toque'' [3], which slowly builds to a first rate safari chase, or the ingenious track ''The Creep'' [4], switching back and forth between comedian bumpiness, head-over-heels swing und a tea-dance kind of (calculated) corniness, while staying coherent the whole time -- a fantastic number, bristling with inventiveness and sheer wit. ''Lady Red'' [5], a lush Lounge-Jazz-Ode makes you wonder if the guys are serious, or if they are gracefully pulling a grandiose clichee pun here, keeping a proper face... just to drop the whole classy attitude with a thud only one track later, on ''Teo Walks'' [6], where they stomp about heavily, street beat style. Speaking of Teo (Macero); the man honored with that last-mentioned piece (who produced a.o. the most prominent Miles Davis records, Vernon Reid's milestone ''Mistaken Identity'' and ''Kingdom Of Champa'') hasn't been on the case this time. Michael Blake himself did the producer's part on ''Drift'', revealing another of his obviously many talents. For this second solo release of his is an absolutely fine piece of work. A much variegated panoply of styles and moods, supremely played and most entertaining to listen to. No doubt the band had a helluva lot of fun -- which is audibly true for the whole album. It can be said without exaggeration that Blake's short but impressive discography is now one gem the richer.