Susie Ibarra and Denis Charles Drum Talk (Wobbly Rail, 1998)
reviewed by Micah Holmquist
May 12, 2000

Susie Ibarra (djembe, kullntang, drums, small percussion),
Denis Charles (triangle, drums)

Recorded January 4, 1998 at Context Studio. No further information on location given.

A couple of days ago I was listening to Drum Talk when a thunderstorm began outside. At first, the rain and cracks of thunder made a sound that beautifully matched the playing of Susie Ibarra and Denis Charles and then the two sounds parted and went their separate directions. It was beautiful while it lasted.

Not that there is anything wrong with Drum Talk on its own terms. The disc begins with Charles ringing the triangle as if to invite listeners into this wonderful world of percussive bliss. It is especially impressive that both players manage to convey a real sense of composition in their playing. By this I mean the music found here sounds less like a collection of drum solos than it does the playing of a couple of musicians who just happen to channel their creativity through drums and other percussion instruments. The dichotomy isn’t precise by any means but through delicate playing that invokes the influences of many different percussion styles, Ibarra and, to a lesser extent, Charles invoke music that feels as full and as complete as anything that could come from a more traditional ensemble.

Sadly, Charles passed away just a couple of months after this date at the age of 74. Born in the Virgin Islands, Charles had played professionally since the 1950s and his resume included work with such luminaries as Don Cherry, Gil Evans, Archie Shepp, and most notably Cecil Taylor. Ibarra, on the other hand, rose to prominence in the mid 1990s through her work in ensembles lead by William Parker, who Charles also played with, and David S. Ware.

Drum Talk was released after Charles’ death and serves as a fine mature statement from one master and just a taste of what was and is still is to come from Ibarra.

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