Earlier this year Kevin Kastning sent me ‘Interchange One’, an album he recorded with the famous drummer Paul Wertico (who won multiple Grammys with Pat Metheny). After I reviewed it, Kevin contacted me again and asked if it was okay to give my details to Paul, and I of course agreed, which led to a very enjoyable Zoom interview and Paul also sending me this album he recorded with David Becker. Paul also gave my details to David, which led to another Zoom conversation – the world can seem very small indeed these days.
Although Becker and Wertico knew each other they had never actually played together, so when Becker moved to Illinois, he got in contact and they met up for a meal and chat, which led to the idea of possibly doing something. With both of them known for improvising and composing live, instead of rehearsing and seeing if that worked, they instead booked a studio and engineer and loaded in their equipment. Only one song had been written ahead of time, the title cut which Becker wrote about his recently departed cat, but Wertico hadn’t heard it prior to playing on it, and everything else was composed live at the time.
It is always interesting to hear how musicians can find their way within threads of music they have not previously come across, and everything on this album was recorded in one take and then they moved onto the next, with Becker bringing in some of the equipment he uses in his live ‘Planets’ performances which enabled him to accompany himself, while Wertico brought in plenty of toys of his own, including his newly released Dream signature flat ride cymbals, ‘The Bliss Wertico Ride’. Some people are afraid of listening to improvised music as they feel it will too “out there” for their tastes, but here we have two experienced musicians who immediately found a way to work together which is both compelling and at times truly beautiful.
Wertico has been working with master guitarists for decades and one of his real strengths is knowing when not to overplay, or indeed when he can most to a piece by not playing at all, and Becker is used to having a stage solely to himself and having to provide soundscapes, and somehow they met together and created a very enjoyable album indeed. This never feels like two well-known players stroking their egos but instead is two friends in a room feeling how they can make the other sound even better as they both pursue their love of melody. “The Catch” is an absolute highlight, with Becker adding different intonations and loops as the song gradually builds and Wertico takes a very long time indeed to make his entrance, but it is timed perfectly when he does, providing a backdrop which takes the song to a whole new level.
If this is what they can produce the very first time they played together one can only wonder what is going to happen once they start sharing a stage, now they live in the same state. I look forward to their next adventure with great interest.
Rating: 8/10
Links:
https://www.davidbeckertribune.com/
https://www.paulwertico.com/
https://gadrecords.pl/