JAMES ASHER
Raising The Rhythms
(p) (c) 1999 New World Music
10tks/53mins

A boiling cocktail of sparky rhythms - this is how this album can be named (though, rather conditionally, because it does not fit any frames). Here a real unity of various cultures take place. One can observe the joint presence of Latin-American percussion, American Indian flute, vivid Indian drums and keyboards and quite European guitar, and a lot of unexpectedly coming instruments. Caribbean, Indian, European and God knows what melodies have merged together here. And all this is mixed on the full of life, fiery rhythm, which is penetrating through the album.
"Raising The Rhythms" is an album of the united, All-Earth music, song of the Common Home, which does not know any conditions and borders, where every culture contributes it own unique aroma and they can not be separated by any covers of national separation, and there is no desire to do it! And in this Dance of Life they are together - European, American Indian, Indian and African. The are just celebrating, and they feel very good together. You are listening to this album and you are wishing to join this celebration and to be with the real friends, to dip in this endless ocean of Celebration and Bliss…
Undoubtedly, the main advantage of "Raising The Rhythms" is that this album is full of Life up to its brims. And in this matter many remarkable musicians helped James Asher. They have played various instruments and everyone has brought something special, so the music became similar to an incredible bouquet of wonderful flowers with most delicate aromas. Generally, everything which does James Asher comes to be very interesting! He does not repeat himself and all his albums are quite different. So, "Raising The Rhythms" can not bet compared to anything. Still, there is one characteristic feature, due to which one can recognize Asher at once: rich, very bright drums and irrepressible rhythm. And the other instruments, such as jazz saxophone, trumpet and keyboards in "Saxophagus" only emphasize tumult of this rhythm.
In general, "Raising The Rhythms" is surely worth hearing. It is very difficult to describe this album, maybe just as incredibly difficult, almost impossible is to describe the Life itself.

Serge Kozlovsky