As a leader, master drummer, Ralph Peterson adds number 15 to his hit list with his new album, “Outer Reaches,” which also serves as the inaugural release on his Onyx Music label. In addition, the drummer recently announced a forthcoming instructional DVD, Jazz Drumming Demystified: Mechanics to Musicality, which will be available through the Jazz Heaven website.
Ralph Peterson’s Unity Project (Onyx Music) features trumpeter Josh Evans, tenor saxophonist Jovan Alexandre and Hammond B-3 organist Pat Bianchi. Together with their fearless leader, they collectively push the envelope to extremes on Outer Reaches, an exhilarating homage to Larry Young’s classic 1965 Blue Note recording Unity.
Peterson’s “On My Side” is a luxurious brushes ballad dedicated to his mother while his jaunty “An Inside Job” swings in easy midtempo fashion with Peterson providing polyrhythmic thrills along the way. Bianchi is also prominently showcased on this infectious grooving number. Peterson’s “Beyond My Wildest Dream,” dedicated to his wife Diane, is a briskly swinging number with a memorable melody. Evans, Bianchi and Peterson all deliver potent solos here.
