Created in 1971 for percussion and voice, 'Drumming' represented a turning point in the compositional style of American innovator Steve Reich. Ensemble Links gives the listeners at the Philharmonie de Paris a new perspective of Reich's minimalist music. 'Drumming in Motion' is a staged interpretation, bringing the musicians into the audience space.
Inspired by Asian and African forms, Larry Ochs calls his sax and double-drum trio "Larry Ochs Sax & Drumming Core," and the minimal and unusual instrumentation is an effective vehicle for his intense improvisations. Known for his riveting work as a member of the avant-garde jazz group What We Live and the saxophone quartet Rova, Ochs' thick tone, overblowing, and forceful delivery evidence a relentless search for a sort of transcendental ecstasy fueled by the powerful strains of the drums…
This first-time vinyl reissue and first-time CD release has been carefully remastered from the original master tapes. Recorded live at Town Hall, New York City, 16 December 1971. Steve Reich's Drumming is regarded as one of the most important musical works of the last century. Distilled through his studies of African percussion in Ghana during 1970 and Balinese gamelan music, Reich revolutionized our understanding of polyrhythms, sculpting a new sonic territory to illuminate the radical potential of Minimalism.