Belogenis, Downs & Morris - The Flow

Mike Szajewski, WNUR

With his deep, honking tenor, New-York-based Louie Belogenis, the prominent voice of this album, swirls and growls his way to a masterful set released here on Ayler records. Belogenis, who has considerable playing experience with drummer Rashied Ali, has also been featured on Exuberance’s “Live at the Vision Festival,” and Ayler release recorded in 2003. The title of the album here really gets to the heart of the music, which gradually flows from high to low intensities in a freely swinging manner. Much of this can be accredited to the drummer Charles Downs (better known as Rashid Bakr -- the drummer is now going by his birth name) who guides these gradual shifts in feel. With a relatively simple drum set-up, Downs makes use of the hi-hat and snare to generate the swinging pulsation that serves as the foundation for the trio’s sound.