PAPATAMUS REDUX

MAHAKALA RECORDS (RELEASED MAY 15, 2026)

Four musicians are about to go through a revolving door. The musicians are trumpet/clarinet player Matt Lavelle, stritch/alto flute player Chad Fowler, bassist Ken Filiano and drummer Bobby Kapp. The revolving door is Whirlpool, the latest release on Fowler’s Mahakala label. The music spins, whirls and twists as the players spiral through nine original compositions. The title track sounds just like its name with Fowler and Lavelle (on clarinet) circling each other, creating a whirlpool of contrapuntal melodies. On this tune and many others, Filiano and Kapp act like the center post of the revolving door, providing the energy and pulse that keeps things spinning. The swirling interaction between the two horn players continues with the ballad “Ozakestra” the boppish groove of “School House,” the simple and repeated folk-like melody of “Blessings from Boyo” and the slow march of “Traditional Funeral Dance.” Rather than swirling around one another, Lavelle and Fowler (this time on trumpet) enter the revolving door at separate times. playing extended call and response sections on “Tazz Left Town” (dedicated to Roy Campell). Lavelle also plays trumpet on “Blessings from Boyo.” Filiano enters the door first on “As Above, So Below” with a somber bowed bass solo. The music intensifies as Fowler and Lavelle start spinning around each other faster and faster. With each spin, Filiano seamlessly switches from arco to pizzicato. There are some tunes on which Fowler and Lavelle step out from the revolving door to give the other person space to spin a mesmerizing solo. Such is the case on “As Above, So Below,” “School House” and “Matt and Chad.” At other times, Filiano finds himself spinning around one of the horn players, while Kapp keeps pushing them on. At other times, Kapp finds himself twirling around with Filiano. This is indeed a group performance and like children in a revolving door, the musicians seem to be enjoying this adventure of unbridled energy in a controlled structure that affords them a sense of freedom and wonderment.

BOTTOM LINE: Mahaka Records does it again! Whirlpool, featuring Matt Lavelle, Chad Fowler, Ken Filiano and Bobby Kapp, lives up the label’s mission of publishing aggressively beautiful music while connecting geographically and culturally disparate musicians. It’s a delightful example of the power, joy and beauty of modern improvised music.