Album Review: OnePointOne (Live At The Blue Whale)

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There are very few percussionists I can think of that would be able to pull off a live recorded album that falls even into the same league as OnePointOne (Live At The Blue Whale).

From the opening bars of A Love Eclectic and onward throughout, the whole collection draws on many contrasting genres, cultures and aural motifs that somehow harmoniously flow out of and into each other.

The strong Jazz roots and African rhythms are a recognised calling card of Myele Manzanza (Previously of Electric Wire Hustle fame and son of a Congolese master percussionist), but the apparent aspects of Hip-Hop, Latin beats and at times almost traditionally Chinese sounding strings lend a truly global sound to the album.

The overall musicality is amazing. The strings, the guest vocalists – each independent detail adds an extra layer of depth and resonance to the songs.

The timing is nigh on immaculate and the musicians respect for their surrounding players is palpable. Perhaps the only complaint I have is regarding the Jeremy Sole Interlude which whilst touching on an awesome point about the difference between audience members “showing up” and “being present”, the piece sort of stilts the overall flow of the collection.

This album comes off as a bit of a love note to percussion and music in its purest form. In contrast to the rampant overproduction of modern day drum tracks and the frequency of sample pad and synthesiser use (maybe in general the homogenisation of recorded sound), one almost forgets that instances like this occur. Live recordings with feeling and an ebb and flow between musicians and audience. Tempo changing, flourishes and build-ups, Myele Manzana’s OnePointOne is a stark reminder of the humanity in live performance and the general human component of music that we so often forget exists.