10/10

The Chicago Quartet Third Coast Percussion never disappoint, and this time we’re treated to 5 world premiere recordings by 4 modern composers.

Missy Mazzoli’s “Millennium Canticles” opens the listen with the atypical percussive sounds being both mysterious and firm, where wordless vocals add much to the creative climate, and “In Practice”, by the band, follows with a pair of movements that emit a distinct melody that radiates much warmth.

The middle track belongs to Tyondai Braxton’s “Sunny X”, where forceful, sci-fi manipulation comes quickly and unpredictably in the rhythmic landscape, while “Triple Point”, by Ayanna Woods, brings dreamy mallet work amid a hypnotic beat.

The last piece, Gemma Peacocke’s “Deathwish”, is full of curious and harmonic patterns that interpret sound in iconoclastic and innovative ways.

There’s a reason why Sean Connors, Robert Dillon, Peter Martin and David Skidmore, i.e. Third Coast Percussion, have picked up a Grammy Award; their ability to inspire, captivate and defy tradition is nothing short of stunning.

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