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Editorial Reviews

Smooth, jerky, tumbling, buoyant, still. This is Gabrielle Roth's movement progression, and she wants to get you moving -- and sweating -- in that direction. Roth's rhythm-based Tribe album is so engaging that the music almost reaches through the speakers to jerk your arms and legs, twirl your torso, and loosen your emotions. Roth offers two selections on Tribe: "Tsunami," a nonstop, 27-minute soundtrack for practicing her trademark 5-Rhythm Wave dance form, and a seven-part suite, "Talking Sticks," that showcases the solo percussion talents of Roth's ensemble, the Mirrors. Although many of Roth's albums contain music for the 5-Rhythm Wave, the "Tsunami" sequence really lives up to its namesake. Simply called "Flowing," the opening could promise belly-dancing music, but instead offers a cacophony of layered drums riding on the undulating rhythm of Fernando Saunders' fretless bass and the vocal harmonies of Catherine Russell and Mindy Jostyn. The karate-sharp moves of "Staccato" are more comical than angry, and "Chaos" is less like an explosion than a blistering whirlwind in 6/8 time, textured with djembe drums, sticks, and urban tribal vocals. The high accents of the carefree "Lyrical" rhythm are expressed by Niall O'Leary on the spoons, and the final "Stillness" captures a parallel universe of heartbeat, timed bells, and ghostly voices. The rhythm patterns are deftly and virtuosically woven through the "Talking Sticks" suite as well. You can hear "Tsunami" recorded with Roth's vocal instructions on the Endless Wave II album, or check out the The Power Wave video for a visual supplement to the instruction. Tribe is a sizzling creation that plays just as well on the headphones as on the dance floor. Carol Wright, Barnes & Noble

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