Modern Drummer January '97 Ian Dogole & Global Fusion lonospheres (Cymekob) Rating: *Four Stars* drummer: Curt Moore, percussionist: Ian Dogole with Sheldon Brown (reeds), Bill Douglass (bs vln, Chinese fl), Gary Fisher (kybd), Eric Golub (vIa, kokyu), Dmitri Matheny (flghrn) Composer Ian Dogole (rhymes with Lion Mogul) creates truly global fusion here, mixing instruments, rhythms, and scales from Africa, the Middle East, China, Japan, Indonesia, and the Americas.

Dogole's uncommon melodic and harmonic mastery of mbira, talking drums, and udu is equaled by his assured groove and dynamic leadership on ethnic drums, caxixi, and "global drumset" (a talking drum, a doumbek, two Native American drums, two Peking opera gongs, two ride cymbals, and a splash cymbal). The modal jazz of the '60s and '70s is the primary language here, informed by Santamaria, Miles, Ornette, Sun Ra, and Coltrane-but fresh writing steers Ionospheres past the tribute bin. Sheldon Brown contributes urgent bass-clarinet cries, eerie legato soprano lines, and a fiery tenor solo. Gary Fisher's piano is laced with organic synth colors (here gong-like waves, there curtains of glass). Most notable is the pan cultural swing of Eric Golub's viola and Japanese fiddle. You don't miss Curt Moore's mostly absent trap set-and where it appears it is one more lyrical percussion voice, welcome in the great village. Hal Howland Back to Press