Andy Summers, Triboluminescense, A review (2017)

Andy Summers, Triboluminescense, A review (2017)

By: Ghost Writer

Rock n Roll Animal

Chances are few that one day ex Police guitarist Andy Summers will be recognized as a stellar jazz fusion guitarist or performer, his legendary previous career with the successful new wave trio would prevent Summer listeners to forget who he is and having expectations very different from what Summer wishes to deliver these days, but Triboluminescense, Summers latest solo recording ding definitely demands the listener to try new ears and open minds towards his music, If Anything opens with a prodigious elegant tone, undoubtedly Summers is trying hard and this track proves it, as Summers is completely capable here of combining technical progression and unbridled emotion in a unique way, to some Police devotees, this might sound as Martian music, but Summer certainty manages to channel some of his early interest in world music in his new recording, there's a slight touch of Montana's shamanic mystique and Fripp's complex elegance in his music, a total devotion towards melody and introspection, certain nods to a middle eastern feel, and a small wink to House of the Raising Sun on the title track, but mostly a tongue in cheek gesture, there's also tune like Adinkra that reminds me of Mulatu Astatke beautiful Ethiopian jazzy grooves which Summers handily in a very respectful way, on Elephant Bird Summers goes more for an upbeat tune, using the florid work of his backing musicians, although his guitar work here goes for a more Fripp like guitar style, it would be hard to affirm that Fripp has done something like this, and while Shadyland teaches some genius melodies, but ends up failing in the generic, but is on Haunted Dolls where Summers reach near peak, with its hypnotic guitar lines and brilliant exercises.

Giganthopithecus is a delicious slow burning exercise where Summers is able to "fusion" all his influences surrounding this record in a superbly coherent way, it manages to create brilliant moments of tension, beautiful grooves and amazing moments of sound explosion, while on Garden of the Sea things get a little bit to abstract, on Ricochet he comes to the surface on a wonderful exercise of infectious reach and great channels of expression, right before going onto a state of intoxicating ecstasy on the dissonant Sam and Janet, another definite highlight, and a nearly perfect closing for such a daring recording, if Summer is not recognized as a superb fusion guitarist after this, is not because of lack of talent or lack of trying, but because the shadow of Summer previous monster of a band is very hard to overcome, Triboluminescence is a memorable recording full of great performances and full of great ideas and deserves to be heard with attention.