Free Drum Suite

A solo drums and percussion record by Bartłomiej Brat Oleś, one half of the Oleś Brothers (with his twin, bassist Marcin Oleś) and, along with his sibling, a mainstay of the Polish improvising scene and effectively part of Not Two's house rhythm section in this period. Here Oleś steps out from that ensemble role to build an extended solo suite of his own compositions.

The album showcases an expansive percussive palette: beyond the drum set and cymbals, Oleś draws on tenor gong, steel tray, bamboo sticks, spring drum, tingsha, kalimba, bells, birdcalls, cowbells, flute and a range of other objects. The fourteen pieces move freely between extremes of dynamics and density — passages so quiet they nearly disappear giving way to full-force blasts — and several carry dedications: 'Space' to Neil Armstrong, 'King is in the Town' to Elvin Jones, and 'Water Meditation' to the memories of Lester Bowie, Malachi Favors, John Coltrane, Billie Holiday and Glenn Gould. Rather than mere displays of technique, the tracks function as compact, atmospheric soundscapes, the album as a whole reading as a surreal, shifting tour through what a drum kit and an array of small instruments can evoke.