Richard Poole and Pat Battstone
Mystic Nights
Dreamy ambiences, sparkling tones, and balmy riffs coagulate in the compositions by pianist Patrick Battstone and vibraphonist Richard Poole on their new CD, Mystic Nights. Otherworldly numbers like “Gin and Tonic” and “Undertow” resonate like glittering wind chimes while the fluid embers of “Something Lurking” are embalmed in dulcet wisps. The avant garde-slant in the trickling keys along “Newsreel” ripple with an organic agility, and the balmy banter of the vibes and piano keys ringing along “When Creatures Reigned” convey a placid mood.
“The Miller’s Tale” has a melodic piano riff inlaid by gaggling chimes reminiscent of cow bells, whereas the hypnotic glaze of the vibes in “Magical Morning” produces a dreamy ethos. The buoyancy of “Reflections” is held together by the sprinting vibes, which shift to a cooling graze in “Cross Current.” Their track “Life Stories” is keeled by a slow tempo, contrasting echoey raptures of “Mystic Nights.” The music gels smoothly vacillating between melodic brushed strokes and avant garde pivots.
An interesting tidbit about Patrick Battstone is he works as a rocket scientist at Draper Labs in Cambridge. His work with otherworldly elements is deeply embedded in the tones he creates on the piano mixed with the scintillating shimmers of Poole’s vibraphones. Together, their music is innovative and broadens the parameters of the avant garde into uncharted realms.
Musicians:
Richard Poole – percussions and vibraphones and Pat Battstone – piano
Tracklisting:
Scottish Heather, Summer Sunset, Gin And Tonic, Something Lurking, Newsreel, Undertow, When Creative Reigned, The Miller’s Tale, Magical Morning, Life Stories, Reflections, Cross Current, Mystic Nights