Captain Deen's Hollow Drum Sounds

Every now and then, there is a need for a listener to clear the musical palate. Some of us do it more often than others, but everyone can benefit by dropping an unconventional, out-of-the-popular-mainstream CD or tape into their playing device. Really, how much Limp Bizkit, Eminem, or Britney Spears can any one person listen to? One local release by percussionist Deen Collier could be that rainstorm that washes stagnant musical air from the ears.

The solo CD from the fellow known around these parts as Captain Deen is titled Hollow Drum Sounds on 1030 Records. Collier takes a broad selection of drums and tuned percussion, mixes in some inventiveness, and turns out twelve tracks of varied rhythmic landscapes that the interested listener will discover new aspects to over time and the casual listener may find a refreshing change from pop and rock song structures.

Collier has been involved with Bowling Green groups Drummers of Space and Time, Tomatus, and the All Natural Rhythm Band. He has recorded with all these groups, and the Amplifier reported in March that a new Tomatus release is being recorded.

Perhaps because rhythm is closer to the visceral core of humans than melody, Hollow Drum Sounds has a good many moments that Anglos would think of as tribal. These moments, where they happen, break down into reflections of African, tropical, and Native American tribal traditions. Still, this record cannot be described as primitive pounding of skins. Collier uses quite a varied artist’s palette of percussion sounds, some meant to (and used to) carry melody, some which carry the meat of the beat and backbeat, and a good bit in the region between the two.

Collier wrote or co-wrote all tracks on Hollow Drum Sounds, which was recorded at Entropy Productions in Nashville where other groups involving Collier have recorded. The liner notes do not credit players, although co-writer Tom Roady is credited to have appeared in some unspecified way.

Hollow Drum Sounds is great to just put on and let the rhythms wash over you. There are, upon closer inspection, some neat intricacies to hook one’s ears. There’s the slightly cacophonous “Running in Water” that conjures up a cross between a babbling waterway and swiftly running in place. “Udu Hookah Hound” uses its polyrhythms to slide from one rhythm groove to a more urgent, double-timed groove nearly before the listener realizes that something is changing. “Onyx” is a percolating, percussive stream in the low-to-mid audio range. There’s the spacious, pitch dark journey of “Lost River Cave,” like the mystery of traveling a cave river by lantern light. “Tall” is particularly tasty with its melodius tuned percussion lines and bubbling low timpini-like drums. “Circle Drive” uses the pouring and dropping of fluid as percussion as well as light melodies on fast-decaying tuned percussion.

If your ears are tuned hard to the rock, pop, or country mainstreams, it may take a little effort to get into this CD. However, Captain Deen has made a rewarding work rich with textures, images, melody, and driving pulses. To discover Hollow Drum Sounds for yourself, try the local music sources in Bowling Green such as Musician’s Pro, Box of Rocks, and Great Escape. You can order online for $10 at www.cdbaby.com/deen, e-mail CaptainDeen2@yahoo.com, or contact 1030 Records, 1220 Derek Dr., Franklin, KY 42134.

Don Thomason is a writer and musician living in Dunbar. Visit him at www.myspace.com/donthomasonmusic