Bryan Rombalski and Three Worlds

'Journey' A Gift from One of Midland's Finest

    icon Dec 07, 2006
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The CD came in the mail without a puffed up, neo-political bio. There were no airbrushed eight by tens, no cheesy, "woodsy" candids, no "rave reviews". There was certainly no attempt at selling the work as "compelling", "spiritual", "thought provoking" or, God forbid, "eclectic".

It simply arrived in the post, free of the aforementioned and somewhat tedious propaganda that producers sometimes push. Minus a kitschy promo package, it didn't beg, scream, shout, cajole, or otherwise clamor for attention. It was accompanied only by a yellow sticky note, penned neatly and pinned to the cover. It read: 

"Lauren-
Here's the new CD.
Sorry it took so long.
Hope all is well. -Bryan"

Curious, I plugged it in, gave it a listenŠ. and was promptly blown away.

As a reviewer, catching the vibe of a song without the requisite search for its meaning can be a refreshing change of pace. Meeting a person who strikes you the same way is a downright needle in a haystack.

So it is with the creator of a new album entitled "The Journey". It is the latest work of one of Review This Radio Dot Com's most requested artists: Bryan Rombalski. Brian is a long time music lover, teacher and musical philosopher. He is the soft spoken, intelligent and dedicated guitartist/vocalist/songsmith who has brought up the curve on the local music scene for nearly three decades.

Never one to sell himself out, Bryan Rombalski and Three Worlds' creation, "The Journey" infuses Folk, African, Latin, Brazilian, and even a few hints of Native American textures into a malleable, breathable art form. Is it Jazz? Is it New Age? Is it Blues?

As we've come to expect from Mr. Rombalski, we can only define his music as fluid and ever changing. Reflective neither of mood or influence: it simply IS.  I had a band mate who used to say "A guy who can get me to inject his music without checking the drug is a damned good musicianŠ.I don't care what he plays".

So, yeah.  It's like that.

This main-line approach is evident in what I like to refer to as Rombalski's "Meaningful Noodling" My apologies to Bryan, but it's as apt a description as I can muster. Notwithstanding the fact that he'll get ribbed mercilessly for by the guys at the Midland music store where he teaches, if not by his over three dozen students, I have to use it.

To call it "Noodling" is actually paying the work a compliment. It's the great ease with which the work is composed, produced, and performed that brings the term to mind. Bryan Rombalski never hits you over the head with killer power chords and de-tuned crunch effects. Rather, much like the man, his music reflects a complexity and a lighter touch that can lull you into believing he's just a mellow guy, with only an occasional burst of intensity.

And that's where he gets you.

As an example, Journey features an audio glimpse of Romablski's formidable technical prowess in "Sing and It Shall Pass", track five on the album. As soon as you find yourself starting to think about how EASY it all sounds, he infuses an incredible interplay between the sax and vocal lines which renders the term "scat" utterly insufficient, and obsolete. As the song progresses, one isn't quite sure of where the vocals were replaced and the guitar took over, or how a drum and percussion segment was in and out before you even realized a break in the song was underway. The song grabs you and leads you by the nose into, wellŠa Journey.

Accompanied by Three Worlds, with Mitchell Atkinson on bass, Ed Carney on Sax, Mike McHenry on drums, and Eddy Garcia on percussion, Rombalski's compositions are an incredibly well produced and polished exploration of texture and sound. Noodling, if you will, each little piece of each little puzzle until the broader context of the musical fresco is revealed.

I've mentioned that there are certain works which require the listener to look for meaning. Rombalski's Journey simply is, much like the man, a take it or leave it proposition.

As one would expect from such a talented group, it is technically superb. But beyond that, the work really does seem to walk through a world of influences, taking a moment to stop and smell the roses, feel the earth under the proverbial feet, charge the occasional windmill, and to daydream for just a little, if that's what moves you.

Additionally, in the only work not composed by Rombalski, Bassist Mitchell Atkinson brings a smokin' set of chops into play with a drum line that only drummer Mike McHenry and percussionist Eddy Garcia could pull off. It is the seventh track on the CD, entitled "Viscosity". Though the entire band showcases itself well throughout the album, this cut it is an excellent example of a rhythm section that has proven that certain pinnacles can be reached. 

The bass riffs are blindingly well constructed, and well executed. Air drummers beware: try to keep up with this track, and within the first few measures, your heart will extricate itself from your chest and flop itself to the phone to dial 911. And yes Virginia, it was written by a bassist. Hearing this cut, I can't help but think that every band member on the planet should say ten Hail Mary's for every bassist they have ever blown off when presenting an original composition.

Overall, the virtues of this CD are too numerous to list, though given the column space, I'm sure I could pontificate ad-nauseam on the unbelievable talents at work within it. 

Fact is, I've tried the air drumming thing.

With the defibrillator on charge, windmills on the defense, and the mainlining begun, I have but one final thought:
To Bryan Rombalski and Three Worlds, I offer my congratulations: You have yet to achieve the level of mediocrity expected of you. Though, I suspect, you wouldn't have it any other way.

For information on how to get your hands on the CD, and to find out about Bryan Rombalski and Three Worlds, go to www.brbelieve.com

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