08-08-2012, 07:35 PM
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#22 (permalink)
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Certified H00d Classic
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Bernie Sanders's yacht
Posts: 6,129
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Kit Walker - Dancing On The Edge Of The World (1987)
ARTIST BACKGROUND Classically trained in piano from a young age and proficient in a variety of other instruments as well, Kit Walker made a splash in the late 80's through Windham Hill at a time when contemporary jazz radio was in full swing. Influenced in equal measures by World music as he is Stevie Wonder and John McLaughlin, Mr. Walker's style is hard to pin down, tending to tread an ambiguous middle ground between Ambient music and the spacey jazz of the late 70's.
THE ALBUM His first of two records released during his brief label stay, 1987's Dancing On The Edge Of The World was a huge success upon release, sitting up in the Top Ten Contemporary Jazz airplay charts for nearly half a decade afterwards. Steve Smith, drummer of Journey, contributed on every track and does a spectacular job in the groove department. Keith Jones, a bassist who is rather well known for his work with Wayne Shorter, is heard throughout these tracks as well.
WHY YOU WANT THIS Although it certainly sounds like a late 80's record in the production department (immaculate as it is), Dancing On The Edge Of The World also sounds surprisingly different from what you'd expect out of a smooth jazz record. There's an emphasis on space, deep synths, percussion, flute and intricate basslines as opposed to saxophone, horns, etc. Two tracks in particular, the stargazing 'Temple Of The Stars' and the celestial yet cinematic 'Gates Of The Sun', are unbelievably gorgeous cuts that owe more to Bill Evans and Peter Gabriel than anything Kenny G cooked up around the same time period.
In many ways, this album is a late 80's smooth jazz-fusion record as opposed to a "smooth" jazz one. The arrangements are far more complex than average, there's very little brass and the New Age/ambient/World elements that categorize a lot of Windham Hill's output from the 70's and 80's are in full force from the very get-go. If anything, only a couple Walker's pad/timbre choices and a preference for melody over oodles of noodling made this marketable on radio at all.
CLOSING REMARKS One of the best contemporary jazz records to come out of the 80's overall and a fine debut from an even finer keyboardist, this is a fun record to chill with and a must-own for fans of Harold Budd, Brian Eno, or David Sylvian from the same era. Bon appétit!
FINAL GRADE 
Last edited by Anteater; 08-08-2012 at 08:51 PM.
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