Album Review: Mickey Hart/Zakir Hussain - Global Drum Project
I freely admit that I’ve not followed the music of Mickey Hart since I recovered from a brief stint as a Grateful Dead fan. When I received his new album Global Drum Project with famed Indian tabla player Zakir Hussain, my first reaction was to expect a really long percussive jam session whose sole appeal would be to drummers and communal hippies.
I was an ignorant boob, completely unaware of the award winning 1991 album Planet Drum, which happens to be the very first recording to win a Grammy award for Best World Music Album.
The first thing you’ll notice about Global Drum Project is the deep African influence found on the opening track titled “Baba”. And while drums certainly drive the composition, spoken word, chanting and a melodic punctuation around the edges make for an undeniably rapturous adventure.
The record continues to charm and stun with undeniably well-crafted traditional elements, but Hart takes it over the top with a melding of styles that feature electronic sweeps of color and verve. The album is layered and complex, but ends up sounding effortless and engulfing, with a standout feature being the way pitched percussive instruments provide melody where their should be none.
Global Drum Project works as both traditional rhythmic world music, and as a deep ambient work. It stands erect on it’s own incredibly strong legs, and is on par with the very best of both genres. A bewitching melding of the two.
In addition to former Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart and Indian tabla virtuoso Zakir Hussain, GDP includes Nigerian drum legend Babatunde Olatunji, Nigerian talking drum ace Sikiru Adepoju, and Puerto Rico’s master conguero Giovanni Hidalgo.
Although Mickey Hart live shows are surely crawling with wayward Dead fans, it’s fans of world music and Brian Eno that should make it a point not to miss this one.
Tracklisting:
1. Baba
2. Kaluli Groove
3. Funky Zena
4. Under One Groove
5. Dances With Wood
6. Heartspace
7. Tars
8. I Can Tell You More