DOMINIC J MARSHALL - Skeleton Keys
dominicjmarshall.bandcamp.com/
Dᴇxᴛᴇʀ ʜᴇʀᴄᴜʟᴇs - drums - 𝘖𝘤𝘦𝘢𝘯'𝘴 𝘋𝘢𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘦𝘳 + 𝘎𝘰𝘭𝘥; ʟʏʟᴏ ɢᴏʟᴅ - voice - 𝘕𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘩 𝘒𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘢 + 𝘋𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘰𝘯; ʜᴜɴʀᴏsᴀ - bass - 𝘕𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘩 𝘒𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘢
ᴀsʜᴛᴏɴ sᴇʟʟᴀʀs - guitar - 𝘓𝘰𝘤𝘬𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯, 𝘔𝘦𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘪𝘥, 𝘜𝘴 𝘛𝘸𝘰, 𝘐𝘋𝘒𝘠 + 𝘖𝘤𝘦𝘢𝘯'𝘴 𝘋𝘢𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘦𝘳; ᴅᴀᴠɪᴅ ᴍʀᴀᴋᴘᴏʀ - drums - 𝘓𝘰𝘤𝘬𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯, 𝘔𝘦𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘪𝘥 + 𝘐𝘋𝘒𝘠; ʀᴜᴅɪ ᴄʀᴇsᴡɪᴄᴋ - bass - 𝘓𝘰𝘤𝘬𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯, 𝘎𝘰𝘭𝘥, 𝘔𝘦𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘪𝘥 + 𝘐𝘋𝘒𝘠; ᴛᴏᴍ ᴅʀɪᴇssʟᴇʀ - bass - 𝘋𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘰𝘯 + 𝘐𝘯 𝘋𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘮𝘴; ᴊᴀᴍɪᴇ ᴘᴇᴇᴛ - drums - 𝘕𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘩 𝘒𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘢; ᴊᴜsᴛɪɴ ᴡɪʟᴍᴀɴ - violins - 𝘓𝘰𝘤𝘬𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯, 𝘚𝘬𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘰𝘯 𝘒𝘦𝘺𝘴 + 𝘐𝘯 𝘋𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘮𝘴; ᴘᴏᴘᴘʏ ᴅᴀɴɪᴇʟs - trumpet - 𝘎𝘰𝘭𝘥
ᴛᴏᴍ ɴᴇᴀʟᴇ - flutes - 𝘎𝘰𝘭𝘥; ᴍᴜʟᴇʟᴇ ᴍᴀᴛᴏɴᴅᴏ - mbira - 𝘖𝘤𝘦𝘢𝘯'𝘴 𝘋𝘢𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘦𝘳; ʙᴇɴᴊᴀᴍɪɴ ᴍᴜʀᴀʟᴛ - bass - 𝘖𝘤𝘦𝘢𝘯'𝘴 𝘋𝘢𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘦𝘳, 𝘜𝘴 𝘛𝘸𝘰 + 𝘋𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘔𝘪𝘴𝘴 𝘌𝘮𝘮𝘢 𝘞𝘢𝘵𝘴𝘰𝘯 (𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘳𝘰); ᴘᴇᴛᴇ ʜɪʟʟ - drums - 𝘐𝘯 𝘋𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘮𝘴; ᴡᴀʟᴛᴇʀ sᴛɪɴsᴏɴ - double bass - 𝘋𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘔𝘪𝘴𝘴 𝘌𝘮𝘮𝘢 𝘞𝘢𝘵𝘴𝘰𝘯; ᴍᴀᴛᴛ ɢᴇᴅʀʏᴄʜ - bass - 𝘋𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘰𝘯; ᴍᴀᴛᴛ ᴅᴀᴠɪᴇs - drums - 𝘜𝘴 𝘛𝘸𝘰
Since graduating from Amsterdam Conservatoire in 2012 the intriguingly prolific Dominic J Marshall has ploughed his own furrow as a player/producer over a series of releases that have traced twin simultaneous pathways: keyboard led contemporary fusion, as evidenced on his albums ‘Spirit Speech’ and ‘The Triolithic’, and a blend of jazz with hip-hop and R&B such as the Cave Art series of hip-hop covers he released as DjM Trio with the two rhythm-section Sams, Vicary and Gardner, like an updated version of the Ramsey Lewis Trio. This eclectic approach, coupled with his very evident skills as a pianist, have secured him a place as keys man in the similarly genre-straddling Cinematic Orchestra. His 2020 release ‘Nomad Land’ saw him adding his own voice to the mix as rapper and singer, and this new collection continues to explore this direction with an all-star cast of young UK musicians. Marshall’s very superior production and keyboard skills are in evidence throughout and he’s shows how conversant he is with the language of contemporary urban pop forms, from the hip retro drum programming of ‘April Showers’ to the woozy synth/keys and dragging beat of ‘Mermaid’. ‘Skeleton Keys’ is a poignant instrumental with some very atmospheric strings but the majority of tracks feature Marshall singing or rapping, and this may divide opinion - “Dear Miss Emma Watson’ has a very hip double bass part, and “North Korea’ is a swinging piece of jazzy R&B but some may find the delivery and the choice of subject matter and imagery offputtingly idiosyncratic. Marshall is definitely his own man: as the lyrics to ‘Gold’ declare, “I endeavour to live in as many dimensions as I can” and he certainly has the courage of his convictions.
Reviewed by Eddie Myer
dominicjmarshall.bandcamp.com/
Dᴇxᴛᴇʀ ʜᴇʀᴄᴜʟᴇs - drums - 𝘖𝘤𝘦𝘢𝘯'𝘴 𝘋𝘢𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘦𝘳 + 𝘎𝘰𝘭𝘥; ʟʏʟᴏ ɢᴏʟᴅ - voice - 𝘕𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘩 𝘒𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘢 + 𝘋𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘰𝘯; ʜᴜɴʀᴏsᴀ - bass - 𝘕𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘩 𝘒𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘢
ᴀsʜᴛᴏɴ sᴇʟʟᴀʀs - guitar - 𝘓𝘰𝘤𝘬𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯, 𝘔𝘦𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘪𝘥, 𝘜𝘴 𝘛𝘸𝘰, 𝘐𝘋𝘒𝘠 + 𝘖𝘤𝘦𝘢𝘯'𝘴 𝘋𝘢𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘦𝘳; ᴅᴀᴠɪᴅ ᴍʀᴀᴋᴘᴏʀ - drums - 𝘓𝘰𝘤𝘬𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯, 𝘔𝘦𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘪𝘥 + 𝘐𝘋𝘒𝘠; ʀᴜᴅɪ ᴄʀᴇsᴡɪᴄᴋ - bass - 𝘓𝘰𝘤𝘬𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯, 𝘎𝘰𝘭𝘥, 𝘔𝘦𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘪𝘥 + 𝘐𝘋𝘒𝘠; ᴛᴏᴍ ᴅʀɪᴇssʟᴇʀ - bass - 𝘋𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘰𝘯 + 𝘐𝘯 𝘋𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘮𝘴; ᴊᴀᴍɪᴇ ᴘᴇᴇᴛ - drums - 𝘕𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘩 𝘒𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘢; ᴊᴜsᴛɪɴ ᴡɪʟᴍᴀɴ - violins - 𝘓𝘰𝘤𝘬𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯, 𝘚𝘬𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘰𝘯 𝘒𝘦𝘺𝘴 + 𝘐𝘯 𝘋𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘮𝘴; ᴘᴏᴘᴘʏ ᴅᴀɴɪᴇʟs - trumpet - 𝘎𝘰𝘭𝘥
ᴛᴏᴍ ɴᴇᴀʟᴇ - flutes - 𝘎𝘰𝘭𝘥; ᴍᴜʟᴇʟᴇ ᴍᴀᴛᴏɴᴅᴏ - mbira - 𝘖𝘤𝘦𝘢𝘯'𝘴 𝘋𝘢𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘦𝘳; ʙᴇɴᴊᴀᴍɪɴ ᴍᴜʀᴀʟᴛ - bass - 𝘖𝘤𝘦𝘢𝘯'𝘴 𝘋𝘢𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘦𝘳, 𝘜𝘴 𝘛𝘸𝘰 + 𝘋𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘔𝘪𝘴𝘴 𝘌𝘮𝘮𝘢 𝘞𝘢𝘵𝘴𝘰𝘯 (𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘳𝘰); ᴘᴇᴛᴇ ʜɪʟʟ - drums - 𝘐𝘯 𝘋𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘮𝘴; ᴡᴀʟᴛᴇʀ sᴛɪɴsᴏɴ - double bass - 𝘋𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘔𝘪𝘴𝘴 𝘌𝘮𝘮𝘢 𝘞𝘢𝘵𝘴𝘰𝘯; ᴍᴀᴛᴛ ɢᴇᴅʀʏᴄʜ - bass - 𝘋𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘰𝘯; ᴍᴀᴛᴛ ᴅᴀᴠɪᴇs - drums - 𝘜𝘴 𝘛𝘸𝘰
Since graduating from Amsterdam Conservatoire in 2012 the intriguingly prolific Dominic J Marshall has ploughed his own furrow as a player/producer over a series of releases that have traced twin simultaneous pathways: keyboard led contemporary fusion, as evidenced on his albums ‘Spirit Speech’ and ‘The Triolithic’, and a blend of jazz with hip-hop and R&B such as the Cave Art series of hip-hop covers he released as DjM Trio with the two rhythm-section Sams, Vicary and Gardner, like an updated version of the Ramsey Lewis Trio. This eclectic approach, coupled with his very evident skills as a pianist, have secured him a place as keys man in the similarly genre-straddling Cinematic Orchestra. His 2020 release ‘Nomad Land’ saw him adding his own voice to the mix as rapper and singer, and this new collection continues to explore this direction with an all-star cast of young UK musicians. Marshall’s very superior production and keyboard skills are in evidence throughout and he’s shows how conversant he is with the language of contemporary urban pop forms, from the hip retro drum programming of ‘April Showers’ to the woozy synth/keys and dragging beat of ‘Mermaid’. ‘Skeleton Keys’ is a poignant instrumental with some very atmospheric strings but the majority of tracks feature Marshall singing or rapping, and this may divide opinion - “Dear Miss Emma Watson’ has a very hip double bass part, and “North Korea’ is a swinging piece of jazzy R&B but some may find the delivery and the choice of subject matter and imagery offputtingly idiosyncratic. Marshall is definitely his own man: as the lyrics to ‘Gold’ declare, “I endeavour to live in as many dimensions as I can” and he certainly has the courage of his convictions.
Reviewed by Eddie Myer
