SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: COCHEMEA – ALL MY RELATIONS

Cochemea
All My Relations
Daptone Records

With nearly fifteen years of experience touring the world as a saxophonist with Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings, Cochemea Gastelum is no stranger to the musical world. Within his solo full-length All My Relations, Cochemea delves into spiritual jazz, varied percussion, and of course soaring saxophone.

One of the most initially apparent features of All My Relations is the heavy use of percussion and rhythm. Whether it’s the Indigenous-inspired “All My Relations” or the grooving “Song of Happiness”, percussive and enchanting rhythms are found throughout. Adding exta depth to the sound is the excellent use of stereo separation that helps to draw in the listener and add impact to the drums felt across the album. On “Asatoma”, percussion takes complete control which leads to a very atmospheric and minimalist sound that nicely offsets some of the album’s busier moments.

With Cochemea you expect excellent saxophone performances and All My Relations certainly delivers some pleasing sax solos and riffs. Of particular note is the song “Seyewailo” in which the saxophone has effects laid upon it allowing for some unique tones and cosmic jazz textures.

With such varying influences and textures, All My Relations is an undeniably interesting spiritual jazz album that should fit perfectly within Daptone’s stellar catalogue.

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