Pianist Uri Caine and drummer Han Bennink team up for a timeless recording at Amsterdam’s famous Bimhuis

Sonic Boom’s live ambience is skillfully captured throughout this recording and is a refreshing pleasure. A drum prelude leads into the piano’s entrance. Every piano note is audible and transparent as are the drums but the stir from the audience is palpable as the Sonic Boom energy resonates in their veins and now -thanks to this new 816 music recording-  in ours.           

Grind Of Blue's crystal clarity is achieved through Uri’s classical articulation

Ascending block chords build, drifting into slightly more boppish lines. The listener can feel the energy from the oo’s and ahh’s after solos and at the end of each piece from the mesmerized Bimhuis Crowd.                 

Hobo fluidly modulates in and out of classic grooves. A drum solo starting off somewhat reminiscent of Benny Goodman’ Sing Sing Sing remarkably shifts the tone as all the orchestral power and architectural support of the piano deepens even in it’s absence Fine rim work by Han and cool accents on toms lead into a very 60’s TV kind of jazz ending.

`‘Round Midnight begins with Caine inside the piano plucking the strings; as facile a pianist under the lid as he is on the keyboard! Again the duo moves naturally between free and structured sections in the great Thelonious Monk classic. .                   As I Was is poignant and understated with subtle percussion by Han lighting up the piece.  There is an uncanny awareness of space here and how the space interacts with the various duo textures that’s almost like another presence… The space is almost an invisible third member of the band. Both Uri and Han play with virtuosic fire leading As I was into a classic hard hitting tag capped by a descending arpeggio and low register flourishes from Uri.

Furious Urious begins passionately. Caine is facile stylistically, technically and harmonically turning mid piece to a blues shuffle for the most traditional playing of the record. The drums are so full of harmonics here it almost feels like a bass player is sitting in! Caine ties a knot on Furious Urious with a signature Basie ending.

Upscale drums start a bit like Night in Tunisia then fragments into a free section. Han’s drums sing out like tibetan bowls as they orbit the piano.

Caine returns to playing inside the piano – now stroking the strings – using the pedal for deep theatrical reverb. Han answers with subito forte hits. Uri develops an amazing groove using an upper harmonic plucked string as a pedal point

 Uri and Hans feverishly play into a Furious head out that leaves the crowd buzzing.         

True Love starts out kind of free – then references an almost Broadway like progression followed by some hard rock gospel grooves. Stop time gospel – provides an opportunity for  the drums to groove in familiar waters. Repetitive single notes and articulate full keyboard swirls are captured with clarity by the artful recording. Uri Ends True Love improvising something that sounds like it could be part of a Chopin etude before resolving to the tonic.

Lockdown’s stark chords and more traditional hard hitting swing style mixed with McCoy Tyner type modal soundscapes closes out Sonic Boom. Another antecedent consequent section moves into bop lines, swinging sections and free flourishes. Uri and Hans play with the tag form again here and it makes a fitting close to the remarkable evening. Caine’s right hand staccato chords and Scriabin middle register improvisations build to a final virtuosic flourish and a magical final thump of the drums.