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New Monsoon
CD - The Sound
New Monsoon certainly has the sound with their mix of rock
and jamband. They have an unusual setup. There are two percussionists
and a drummer, Marty Ylitalo. Rajiv Parikh plays tablas and
Brian Carey plays congas and timbales. Although Parikh can be
heard better than Carey, the three together make for interesting
rhythms. Michael Shrieve, a member of the original Santana band,
also contributes to some tracks.
In addition to Ben Berstein on bass and Phil Ferlino on keyboards,
there are two guitarists, Jeff Miller on electric and Bo Carper
on acoustic.
Miller is the main soloist. But at some points, the two play
together equally, without having Miller overshadowing the acoustic
instrument. Carper also plays banjo with a Middle East/Indian
inflection.
Although this is a studio album, it has the tension and excitement
that you would expect from a live show. All eleven tracks have
a varied sound, with three different band members contributing
to the vocals.
New Monsoon is an interesting jamband, in a field where all
too many units are too much the same.
- Dave Howell
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