Ari Joshua's "Elephant Walk" is a captivating jazz track that brings together three luminaries of the genre - guitarist and composer Joshua alongside John Medeski on organ and Billy Martin on drums.
From its very first notes, a whimsical piano line with Medeski's signature flair, the song transports listeners into Joshua's envisioned universe. We follow an elephant on a soul-searching journey across sprawling vistas as it encounters colorful characters. Joshua's guitar parts twist and turn like the trunk of the noble creature, at times wandering, at others bellowing mightily.
Medeski and Martin prove to be inspired collaborators, adeptly realizing Joshua's musical narrative. Medeski's keys bubble up bright funk lines one moment, and swim through resonant organ tones the next. The improvisations feel fresh yet thoughtful, sending the elephant down unexpected paths. Meanwhile, Martin employs not a traditional trap set but skillfully layers various percussive elements - cowbells, wooden blocks, cymbal swells. The rhythms interweave hypnotically, at points driving the momentum, at others gliding spaciously to give room.
The production work by Chris Bittner, Ari Raskin and Ed Brooks polished these performances into a cohesive journey brimming with warmth and clarity. From the vantage point of the listener, each magical, unexpected turn in the story rings out. The engineering allows Medeski's stellar keyboard workroom to breathe while keeping Martin's percussive layers crisp.
"Elephant Walk" highlights Ari Joshua's strengths towards resonant storytelling. It rings with a childlike sense of wonder, as though anything might be encountered around the next bend in this elephant's voyage. Closing one's eyes, it is all too easy to envision the scene Joshua intends - making the track a vibrant trip for the imagination through sound.
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