REVIEW: Andris Buikis “Green” – Music

A month ago, with his first solo single “Tam One”, the audience was surprised by the drummer Andris Buikis, well-known in Latvian jazz and popular music circles, who is also a regular member of the jazz band “Very Cool People”. Well, he has taken a step further – his debut solo album has also been released. “Over time, we do what we want and how we feel, whether we like it or not.

As a music servant alone, with a blow to a physical object without harmonic and melodic dimensions, I cannot fulfill myself. Every day I want to receive lightning power energy that paralyzes, gives strength, burns, freezes, makes you think. I have also immortalized this flow of vibrations in my first sound story, ”the author philosophizes about creating his first collection of songs. Why Green? This is Andris’ favorite color, which inspires him and gives him energy. “I am an experimenter, so I allowed myself to gather various features and moods in the album, moreover, both in songs and in instrumental compositions,” Andris sums up.

A small historical departure for those who cannot remember where they heard Andris Buikis’ name. One of the most demanded and professional drummers in Latvia, who is active both as a concert and as a studio musician. He has played in numerous ensembles, including Arnis Mednis and Jānis Stībelis, also in the group “Keksi”. He has spoken with Laima Vaikulis, Intars Busulis, Aija Vītoliņš or Amber, Raimonds Macats, Raimonds Pauls, Uldis Marhilēvičs and many others. Winner of the international competition “Sony Jazz Stage 2008” “Grand Prix” in the nomination for the best jazz drummer. With the Daniel Master Quartet, he won first place in the famous “European Keep An Eye Jazz” competition. Etc.

The solo album includes a dozen compositions, the author and arranger of which is Andris himself, and he has also played almost all the instruments except – and this “except” is followed by a long list of guest musicians. In one piece, Aija Vītoliņš (“For One”), Ralph Eilands (“Evening Quiet and Peaceful”), in a couple – Rita Kovaļčuka and Sandis Vāgners, in a couple of compositions Laura Rozenberga’s virtuoso trombone and Andris Augstkalns as trumpet player , Dāvis Jurka (saxophone), Valters Sprūdžs (bass), Ritvars Garoza (synthesizers), Ilvars Vītoliņš (bass), Aigars Māls (guitar) and others have also participated in the recordings of certain compositions. However, after looking at the CD cover, the composition “Green” undoubtedly arouses the greatest interest, in which Raimonds Pauls (speech) and DJ Monsta or Uldis Cīrulis (scratching or wide scrapers) are also mentioned as guest artists … What is Paul talking about here? An excerpt from an interview is mixed in, in which Maestro thinks about jazz and Buik himself, who is a “talented boy, very much”. There is no doubt.

BY. It is difficult to find out who has played something here, and when listening to some compositions, you have to look at what was announced on the CD, whether it was “played” by Buikis himself or by someone listed in the “except” section. And it turns out that, for example, in the playful “Burning Poppy Fields” the master of percussion instruments has also undertaken vocal parts, but in the compositions “Summer” and “Laura” has guaranteed a piano solo – all respect! However, Buikis is best at playing the drums, standing out brilliantly in such compositions as “O yes”, “Too far”, “Thank you” and others. The most audience-friendly is the “One for One” with the beautiful voice of Aija Vītoliņa, which evokes the memory of the 80s disco, but the most interesting is the slightly electronic and roaring spring stream “Happy In The Evenings” with sampled vocals, as well as “Thank you” with its pulsating rhythm , For Atis Anderson’s “Hammond” organ, Tabita Balode’s cello and Clay’s sharp rock guitar. Returning to the above-mentioned “O yes” and “Too far” – the keys give extra elegance to the former (sometimes played by Andris himself again), but the latter simply has an appealing melody. In general – a light-loving album, masterfully played and different from most of the currently available Latvian music products.

PRICE. When Andris Buikis, who is musically educated in higher education and his colleagues, forgets that most potential listeners have not gone beyond music school and may not understand various wisdoms, then such compositions as “Thunder” are created with demonstrations of Dāvis Jurkas and Ritvars Garoza’s mastery or almost academic Life ”with vocals and folk song motifs at the end of it … True, works of this caliber are not predominant here.

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