Here we find Doug in Honolulu, recording in a quartet which comprises Noel Okimoto (vibraphone), Dean Taba (bass) and Darryl Pellegrini (drums). I have always thought the vibraphone is a much-maligned and under-used instrument in modern music, as it has a tone and colour all its own which certainly moves a band in different directions. Years ago, I used to often attend Steve Waller’s (ex-MMEB) Sunday sessions which often had other musicians sitting in just for the fun, and one of the regulars was Poli Palmer (Family) who used to totally transform the sound. That is the case here, as Noel provides a very different sonic palette to a keyboard player, and it is somewhat surprising to know this was a one-off performance, with the band put together just for this.
Darryl is a very busy drummer, and with Dean also providing a great deal of melody, it does mean that the rhythm section often does not leave a great deal of room for Noel and Doug, which results in both sitting quite a long way back in the set when they are not playing lead. There is not the amount of duo harmony taking place which one might expect, but that is due to the high number of notes being played at any one time. The interplay between the four is quite remarkable, especially as this was the only time they played together outside rehearsal, but there is an impression that everyone is trying just too hard to make their mark and be heard. This is driven as opposed to relaxed, and personally I would have preferred a different approach from the rhythm section, to allow everyone to settle in more as opposed to it feeling like everyone is on a knife edge. Production again is excellent, although I am never a fan of live performances when applause is faded out as it takes away from the ambience.
Rating: 6/10
