Go: Organic Orchestra

If there's still a case to be made for world music as some sort of descriptive term, the evidence lies in the work of Adam Rudolph. The percussionist has been exploring and internalizing the rhythms of the Americas, Africa and Asia for over 40 years, and his Go: Organic Orchestra are one of the most fully articulated projects of his career. The variety of percussive and orchestral timbres on this record gives life to his panoramic compositions. As the title suggests, you can keep looking inward to the intricate components of this music, but more often than not, a grand flourish will draw you back to the full sweep of the music. The rhythms are unidentifiable — they are an amalgam of several continents, but always superbly played by the armada of percussionists. "Part 9," for example, brings Cuban bata drums, Brazilian forro sounds and what could be Central Asian hand drums with a beat that's devilishly hard to figure out though easy to digest. Rudolph's orchestrations recall even earlier world music composer David Amram's abstract glissandi. Ultimately, whether the pace is frenetic or atmospheric, there's much to enjoy. If there is a drawback to this record, it's the calibre of this project is reflected in their previous recording, and this one doesn't clearly stand out in its excellence. If you've never encountered Rudolph's work, this is a splendid place to start.