Pinpointing what Mark Wingfield does is nigh on impossible, especially in stylistic terms, his oeuvre as both solo performer and collaborator demonstrating a stunning variety of sounds defying simple categorization yet gravitating towards progressive rock and fusion. Still, the album titled “The Gathering” which will see the release on May 17th should be the first of its kind for the English guitarist as, during the two decades of his work, there hasn’t been a record featuring two drummers on a few tracks – and not a regular drummers but contemporary legends: Gary Husband, who also played keyboards during 2021’s sessions in Spain, and Asaf Sirkis – with two legendary bassists, Tony Levin and Percy Jones, adding their elastic grooves two years later.
The aforementioned date marks the album’s physical issue, while the digital variant is already available on Bandcamp. And they are amazing – even the drummers themselves agree.
“That session was a real special one,” says Asaf Sirkis. “I’ve been working with Mark for a few years now, and every project we do is very different than the previous one. I personally feel very much at home with the music that he writes and it’s great to be free to create my own drum parts too.”
“I remember getting a strong essence of something akin to perhaps a modern day ‘Bitches Brew’ concept from what was happening,” recalls Gary Husband, “particularly with the two drum kits panned left and right. There was a wide and intriguing interaction going on with the kind of stew Mark had created and had going on. Definitely, a probing, provocative atmosphere to all that was transpiring on those sessions. I liked it a lot.”
The Gathering
1. The Corkscrew Tower (feat. Tony Levin)
2. Stormlight (feat. Percy Jones)
3. Apparition in the Vaults (feat. Tony Levin + two drummers)
4. A Fleeting Glance (feat. Percy Jones + two drummers)
5. Pursued in the Snow Lit Forest (feat. Tony Levin)
6. The Lost Room (feat. Tony Levin)
7. The Listening Trees (feat. Tony Levin)
8. Journey Home (feat. Tony Levin + two drummers)
9. Together We Rise (feat. Percy Jones)
10. Cinnamon Bird (feat. Percy Jones)
