Justin DeHart: Ring
A CD review of the solo percussion compositions of John Bergamo - as interpreted by the brilliant Justin DeHart. A challenging listen for many, I'm sure. But rewarding.
Justin DeHart
Ring
Rattle Records
I’m becoming a very big fan of Justin DeHart. The percussionist and composer has been in New Zealand the last few years, collaborating with local players and continuing his fascination with the works that were first made abroad. The American-born, Christchurch-based musician and educator has appeared on over 100 records, is Grammy-nominated, and has graced stages around the world. In recent years he’s been teaching a programme of study at the University of Canterbury, but this hasn’t slowed his recording at all.
Ring is his latest, and a tribute to the works of John Bergamo (1940-2013). Bergamo started his professional career as a drummer, before becoming a multi-faceted, multi-instrumental percussionist and composer. He studied jazz with Max Roach in the 1950s, and went on to a range of teaching posts in American colleges across the 1960s before establishing a percussion programme at the California Institute of the Arts in 1970. He remained there until his retirement in 2005. Bergamo inspired a great range of students, and his compositions found here spread from the 1960s to 1990s and take in solo and duo drum pieces as well as works for marimba and timpani.
Subtitled, The Complete Solo Works of John Bergamo, Ring finds DeHart in service to these wonderful percussion-based works. So, I recognise that recommending a solo drumming CD has its limitations – but those already interested in the world of classical percussion won’t flinch, and some drummers from the rock/band world might be interested in hearing the thunder of the timpani, the delicate placing and phrasing of the marimba patterns, the space within all of it, and the dexterity and technique across it all.
I’m a huge fan of this type of performance/recording and the listening that is required of it; DeHart’s recent records with Rattle have all been of great value – and the imprint continues to deliver intriguing, worthwhile and thoughtfully packaged sets of work. Available, as always, via the Bandcamp or as a Print-on-Demand CD for your collection.
This one is my favourite of Justin DeHart’s to date. And has given me a new name in percussion (Bergamo) to now further research. I love getting that sort of homework!
