The Big Takeover #64

DJ Bonebrake Trio "The Other Outside"

Talented X (The Knitters) drummer Bonebrake is not the first rock drummer to lead his own jazz band – Rush’s Neil Peart and Rolling Stone Charlie Watts successfully manage the Buddy Rich/Gene Krupa/Max Roach/Chick Webb/Elvin Jones trip – but they all stuck to drums. Other finds this vet stickman, with mallets, deftly massaging xylophone’s cousins the marimba and vibraphone as if he were expecting tips. His compositions are more colors and shades than songs, like fragrantly light, spacey beatitudes for the soul. Let another drummer, Danny Frankel, and standup bassist Paul Eckman lay hushed foundations; Bonebrake rubs and kneads his atmospheric keys like Lionel Hampton gone experimental Polynesian jazz, and it’s Mai Tai Sweet. (Note: Wondercap is Chris Ashford, who released Bonebrake’s first, pre-X band The Eyes 30 years ago on pioneering L.A. punk label What? Records!.)

Jack Rabid

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