Ken Waxman of JAZZ WORD is catching up with some of the latest of our releases with a lovely review of DANDELION, the 2022 album of TOM JACKSON/KRIS VANDERSTRAETEN/DIRK SERRIES.
The album is still available from our bandcamp store.

“Tom’s contribution may have been understated on the other disc, but during the Dandelion’s session Vanderstraeten is upfront most of the rime. Jackson’s shrills and tongue flutters set up the expositions with Serries metallic echoes, intermediate slides and up-the-neck picks and below-the-bridge clanks providing sympathetic decorations. Expanding both linear motion and auditory enhancements, the percussionist’s parallel, but not overwhelming cadences include hollow pops, woody crunches, Mylar scrubs, strained cymbal coloration and idiophone ratchets and shakes.
Most prominent on “Violet blue” and “Dark green”, his playing creates the proper equivalence to the sounds from the other trio members. Jackson’s initially unaccompanied thin flutters are given extra gravitas by Vanderstraeten’s bolo-bat-like thumps and regularized tick tocks. While Serries’ string rubs, that can sound like stick friction bursting into flame, become even more taunt when framed by constant percussion sounds.
Combing guitar ratchets and pops, high-pitched reed trills and cymbal smashes into group story-telling, the trio members continue to express individual textures as the narratives slide to a polyphonic conclusion,
Without lacking any sonic elements, cooperative and cooperating trios like these can provide all the textures needed for enticing creative improvisations.” Jazz Word – Canada
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