Dwiki Dharmawan "Pasar Klewer"

Country: Indonesia
Genre(s): Ethnic, Jazz, Fusion
Label: Moonjune Records
Format: CD, digital
Release date: August 16, 2016
Tracklist: 
CD 1
1. Pasar Klewer (12:13)
2. Spirit Of Peace (8:55)
3. Campuhan (12:57)
4. Forest (8:00)
5. London In June (4:58)

CD 2
6. Lir Ilir (11:38)
7. Bubuyu Bulan (8:31)
8. Frog Dance (10:54)
9. Life Itself (6:59)
10. Purnama (6:49)
11. Forest (Instrumental) (7:59)

Total time 99:53

Line-up: 
Dwiki Dharmawan - acoustic piano
    With
Yaron Stavi - upright bass, bass guitar (10)
Asaf Sirkis - drums, udu clay percussion & konakol singing (2)
Mark Wingfield - guitar (1, 4, 9, 11)
Nicolas Meier - glissentar (2, 5, 6), acoustic guitar (8, 10)
Gilad Atzmon - clarinet (2, 7), soprano sax (3, 8)
Boris Savoldelli - vocals (4, 5)
Aris Daryono - vocals, gamalan percussion, kendang percussion, rebab 3-strings violin (1, 2, 3, 6)
Peni Candra Rini - vocals (6)
Gamelan Jess Jegog led by I Nyoman Wydod - gamelan orchestra (3)
balinese frogs - (8)

Description/Reviews: 

This vibrant, acoustic piano-driven two-CD set features the cream of Britain's younger expat crop, blending with Indonesian musicians to create a passionate, seamless cultural cross-pollination. Pasar Klewar's exhilarating opening title track possesses a microtonal-informed melody drawn unmistakably from Dharmawan's cultural roots; but its modal nature also affords the pianist and his band mates the freedom to explore everything from Metheny-esque landscapes (though Wingfield's heavily overdriven electric guitar provides a completely non-Metheny vibe during his light-speed solo) to a mid-song shift in mood, where Stavi and Sirkis drive Dharmawan's post-Coltrane, Tyner-via-Beirach-through-Corea exploration of spiritual freedom with similar passion and fire.

Daryono takes an impressive vocal/rebab (three-stringed violin) solo before some empathic three-way interplay amongst the core trio leads to a thoroughly musical drum solo reaching deep into the heart of the song before Stavi and Dharmawan re-enter, bringing this twelve-minute epic to a finish with another brilliant piano solo of grand proportions. Cross-pollinated with Wingfield's additional fiery interaction, the music builds to such a climactic peak that, when it suddenly comes to a stop, the band members shouting "Yeah!!" is left to conclude the track, reflecting the energy clearly felt in the studio.
Its overall freedom may come as a surprise to fans of the more easily digestible So Far, So Close...though that's not to suggest Pasar Klewar is lacking in beauty, flat-out lyricism or eminent appeal.

Media/Samples 
Bandcamp

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