The Barrett Martin Group was reduced to an almost separate project during the quarantine. Drummer, percussionist, and songwriter Barrett Martin and his wife lived for a year in a remote cliff house overlooking the Juan de Fuca Strait. This scene inspired a new book "Stillpoint: Reflections From A Year On The Cliff" and the album Stillpoint he recorded and produced there. Live performances next week include the Jazzbones in Tacoma on Friday and the Royal Hall in Seattle on Saturday.

Due to geographical loneliness, Martin's rhythm-centric music opened up a new path on Stillpoint. The natural beauty of our region's rugged forested seashore inspires an appropriately themed soundtrack. Powerful storms, mysterious wildlife and wild terrain pay tribute to the coastal area called Cascadia by the locals.

For his fifth "Group" album since 2018, Martin has composed all music and played almost all instruments: piano, vibraphone, marimba, gamelan, mbira, kalimba, steel drums, gongs , Vertical bass, various African, Brazilian and Cuban percussion instruments and his drum set.

Showing a shrewd sense of arrangement, Martin added vibrators, gamelan and Brazilian surdo drums from his wife Lisette Garcia. Finally, a key melody ingredient completes the recipe: long-time team member Dave Carter S.

Carter's beautiful, authoritative solo adds an improvisational style, reflecting the ever-changing waters, forests and creatures of Cascadia. His horns often echoed the melodies and rhythm patterns that Martin created with piano or vocal music, such as "waves of color" and "roaring sea".

However, the core of Stillpoint is the complex mix of drums. Martin will set the pattern on one or more drums, and then layer them on a vibraphone, marimba, steel drum, gamelan or any other kind of sound. It’s worth noting that you need to listen actively to find out the details. The drum theme of each song has its own characteristics, and the images of waves, boats and seagulls-such as "Juan's Strait Swing"-are more reminiscent than the complexity of the arrangement of musical instruments.

Stillpoint is 15 songs in an album, but it is also in contrast to Martin's book of 18 short stories written in the same year. The concert in Tacoma on October 8th and the concert in Seattle on October 9th will include the author's reading work to kick off the evening.

The concert will be followed by a performance in Portland on October 10th, after which Martin will perform a special guest performance on NBC's "Late Night with Seth Meyers" with Fred Armisen's 8G band from Monday to Thursday.

Barrett Martin has many things to celebrate, including TV appearances and the simultaneous release of albums and books. But the audience at his upcoming concert can celebrate the most important thing: finally get together with the audience and make music.

The New Cool is broadcast every Friday night from 9 to 11 pm, hosted by Abe Beeson, and produced by KNKX Public Radio in Seattle, Washington.