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  • Record/Vinyl + Digital Album

    EXTRA Limited Edition 12" Vinyl 10 Year Reissue (Black 180g)

    Review from 2012...

    "In today's crowded jazz market, it's an achievement to come up with a signature group sound. And yet, this is just one of the wonderful things immediately apparent on Devin Gray's Dirigo Rataplan. An amazing percussionist, Gray's stunningly detailed playing sounds like a cross between Fritz Hauser and Roy Haynes.

    He flashes some serious compositional chops as well. Dirigo Rataplan is comprised of eight bright, restless originals that are complex and intimate, brainy and engaging, and occasionally a bit outré. Making all of this great music come alive is Gray's phenomenal quartet. Saxophonist Ellery Eskelin and trumpeter Dave Ballou are a formidable front line, and both are absolutely at the tops of their respective games here. Eskelin marvelously dissolves the rambunctious abstract funk of "Cancel The Cancel" into a foggy landscape of whispers and questions. Like Eskelin, Ballou has a lush sound and a seemingly endless wealth of ideas. His solo on "Down Time" is beautifully constructed, rising from the melody like a raven taking flight. Michael Formanek is another great choice-a veteran bassist who's played a similar sort of advanced, creative jazz for decades in his own bands, as well as those led by saxophonist Tim Berne and pianist Uri Caine.

    "Quadraphonically" may be the disc's most radical track. Inspired by bird song, melodies and rhythms intertwine. Gray's playing here is uncannily tuneful, and Formanek doesn't go anywhere near a traditional jazz bass line, hewing closer to the tune's mercurial melodic content. Still, it grooves like mad, especially as Ballou and Eskelin solo over the explorations of the deeply connected rhythm section. It's a perfect example of the famed Weather Report dictum, "everyone solos and no one solos." Gray is fond of collective improvisations, and nearly all of the pieces feature conversational pairings of different members of the quartet.

    This continually shifting sound palette makes for a highly stimulating listen. Though fractured and twisted funk rhythms of various sorts figure prominently on "Cancel the Cancel," "Down Time," and "Talking With Hands," Gray's intent never wavers from the cutting edge. While they access freer, looser rhythmic structures, and darker moods, on "Prospect Park In The Dark," "Thickets," and "Otaku," each of these lovely, brooding pieces is imbued with a relentless forward motion. The closing "Katahdin" is a Berne-like burner that ties all of these elements together in a cogent manner.

    As wonderful as the music is, the packaging is not so. Coming in a DVD-sized holder, the largely red, black, and white design seems to have a color or two missing, rendering the track listing and Gray's brief notes on each composition practically illegible. So, put the CD case down, and listen to this beautifully played, impeccably recorded music and be amazed. Every track on this magical CD brims with creativity and inspiration. Dirigo Rataplan is one of this year's very best." - Dave Wayne, All About Jazz

    Michael Formanek - Acoustic Bass
    Devin Gray - Drums
    Ellery Eskelin - Tenor Saxophone
    Dave Ballou - Trumpet

    Includes unlimited streaming of Dirigo Rataplan I via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    ... more
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    edition of 40 

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  • Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album

    Reissue of 2012 out of print CDs!

    Includes unlimited streaming of Dirigo Rataplan I via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    ships out within 3 days
    edition of 49 

      $15 USD or more 

     

  • Streaming + Download

    Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    Purchasable with gift card

      $12 USD  or more

     

  • Full Digital Discography

    Get all 21 Devin Gray releases available on Bandcamp and save 20%.

    Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality downloads of Most Definitely, Dirigo Rataplan I, Melt All the Guns, 27 Licks, Socialytics, GPS Trio Blast Beat Blues, Algorhythmica, Dirigo Rataplan II, and 13 more. , and , .

    Excludes subscriber-only releases.

    Purchasable with gift card

      $173.53 USD or more (20% OFF)

     

1.
2.
3.
4.
Down Time 09:38
5.
6.
Otaku 05:14
7.
8.
Thickets 08:37
9.
Katahdin 06:33

about

Dirigo Rataplan

Ellery Eskelin-tenor sax
Dave Ballou-trumpet
Michael Formanek-bass
Devin Gray-drums/composition

Quadraphonically
Cancel the Cancel
Down Time
Prospect Park in the Dark (For Charles Ives)
Talking with Hands
Otaku
Thickets (For Gerald Cleaver)
Katahdin

credits

released April 12, 2022

Quadraphonically
Birds from mars may sing like this
In groups of four

Cancel the Cancel
How about this
Or this Now this
Yes No YES

Down Time
Down Time happens
Gold is rare and fruit takes time to grow
Use it wisely

Prospect Park in the Dark (For Charles Ives)
Walk into the park
You’ll find something
Leave feeling better

Talking with Hands
More and more people are using their hands to communicate
Musicians have been doing this forever

Otaku
Two foot spontaneous improvisation yields naturalized rhythms
Japanese may use this word around you

Thickets (For Gerald Cleaver)
If lost in a thicket don’t forget your ticket
You may feel lonely or a little

Katahdin
The ups and downs of climbing a mountain
Its all we've got
Climb it


Thank you: Dave, Michael, Ellery, Jon Rosenberg, Chris Speed, Gerald Cleaver, Jean Carla Rodea, Maiko Fujimori, Ryan Pate, Paul Lichter, Ryan Ferreira, Frank Carlberg, Liz Kosack, Kyungmi Lee, John Dieker, Jonathan Goldberger, Zach Caldwell, Josh Sinton, Hannah Shaw, Kris Davis, Chris Tordini, Owen S-R, Mom, Dad, Justin and Enrica.

Recorded April 30th, 2011 by Jon Rosenberg at Systems Two Brooklyn, NY.
Mixed and Produced by Devin Gray and Jon Rosenberg, July 15th, 2011.

All Music by Devin Gray (Voner Music-BMI)
Devin Gray plays Zildjian cymbals/sticks

devingraymusic.com

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Devin Gray Brooklyn, New York

Brooklyn Drummer/Composer

An artist who strives for quality and sincerity in his work, Gray's exciting energy has compelled him towards many different musical directions. Devin currently lives, performs and composes in Brooklyn, NY. ... more

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