Musket Pike & Drum

A requiem mass for drums, electronics and choir, 'The Undreamt-of Centre' is Laurence Pike's most ambitious solo album to date, pulling from Ligeti, Jon Hassell and Midori Takada in equal measure.

Recorded live at the Phoenix Central Park, Sydney, August 22nd 2024.

Beautiful beautiful early work from Dave Pike – a cascading array of vibes and piano – stretched out over some longer tracks that skip with a lyrical and modal groove throughout! Dave's working here with a group that includes

Bill Evans piano
Herbie Lewis bass
Walter Perkins drums

and although his style is a bit more restrained than on his later funk albums, it also proves to be a wonderful match for the fluid colors of Evans' work on piano – as well as Perkins' light and playful work on the drum kit. There's a simplicity here that's really great – not as "over your head" as the Dave Pike Set of later years, and with a gentle grace that shows what a keenly mature player Pike was, even at this early age. Titles include "Why Not", "Vierd Blues", "Besame Mucho", and "Wild Is The Wind".

With the addition, in 1957, of vibist Dave Pike to what used to be a trio, the 24-year-old Canadian pianist, Paul Bley, formed the exciting quartet that recorded this excellent album, titled "Solemn Meditation," for Gene Norman.

With the addition, in 1957, of vibist Dave Pike to what used to be a trio, the 24-year-old Canadian pianist, Paul Bley, formed the exciting quartet that recorded this excellent album, titled Solemn Meditation, for Gene Norman. Pike had a passion and jazz feeling that fired the band, and the contrast with Bley’s angular, two-handed approach and time, more subtly pulsing than overtly driving, worked. Drummer McBrowne remained the guts of the group, driving his colleagues with intelligence and imagination, while Haden was a constantly growing bass player in close rapport with his teammate, and a reliable timekeeper.

Holy Spring is the second solo album by Australian percussionist, drummer and composer Laurence Pike - an article of faith, expressing the sense that the ritual of performance can transcend the confines of style, structure and concept to connect with something universal.