Teasley’s creation, Painting Time, was inspired by music from several cultural and religious backgrounds. He utilized musical influences from Turkish traditions such as whirling dervishes, Sufi, and African religions. He noticed that all of those cultures had one thing in common, a trance like quality, with a lot of activity occurring within a repetitive figure. That common thread also became a basis of the arrangement for “The Awakening,” the opening track of Painting Time. He used the marimba, a repetitive rhythm, and varied sounds of the wha shaker to recreate that mood.
The percussionist delighted in sharing with me the thinking behind using some of the instruments that appear in “The Awakening.” “The wha shaker is like a very tiny wok that you can hold in the palm of your hand. When you shake it, you are putting pressure on the two sides that raise or lower the pitch, in much the same way that a wha wha pedal works. The percussion for that track is pretty thick, and it is based on a lot of Afro Cuban syncopated style of rhythms. When we began, there was nothing but the marimba part and the wha shaker. That was the seed from which “The Awakening,” grew. The surdo is a big bass instrument that they use in Brazilian music. They use it in samba music. For this tune, it is used to define the backbeat.”
“The Awakening,” merges with western music and Teasley collaborated with Chris Battistone who created the horn arrangements. The trombone (John Jensen), saxophone (Bruce Swaim) and trumpet (Chris Battistone), provide the melody, and augment the rhythm but the foundation is established by the percussion instruments.
As the CD slides into the second track “Amber Waters,” the order is reversed with drums, and in particular, the African udu and the idiophonic caxixi leading the way.
Perhaps more than any other song on Painting Time, “Good Foot Dervish,” brings together the two minds and creative spirits of Tom Teasley. After experiencing the music and dance of Persian whirling dervishes, what Teasley refers to as his overactive imagination took over.
“I couldn’t help hearing (and seeing) in my mind, what it might sound or look like if these dervishes were to be dancing around to a James Brown groove. That’s where the whole thing began. The horn section represents a James Brown or Tower of Power kind of thing. I thought, that is cool, but now what is missing is the Middle Eastern musical influences. I took an Egyptian instrument called a riq, and the doumbek, another Middle Eastern instrument, and used them to punctuate the horn lines. This is a perfect example of taking instruments from the Middle East, and interpreting Tower of Power styles on them,” says Teasley.
We have barely scratched the surface of the percussion instruments that appear on Painting Time, or the ones that Teasley has mastered. In response to my question concerning how many percussion instruments he owns, he paused and thoughtfully answered it would be in the three digits, before adding that he does not think that it has yet reached four digits.
Do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of Painting Time. It is a musical experience you will not want to miss.
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October 2007
