*** Gregg Bendian

GREGG BENDIAN'S INTERZONE

(Eremite)

Percussionist Gregg Bendian's homage to progressive rockers Gentle Giant is one of last year's best tribute albums, largely because it's among the least literal. Bendian doesn't rework Gentle Giant tunes; instead he creates original music that uses techniques he first heard in the band's music -- odd meters, counterpoint, atonality, and other devices beloved of new-music performers. Tunes like "Titled" and "I-zones" skitter in and out of odd meters, and their tempos melt away into pointillist fragments. The haunting melody of "Sunblade Strafe the Continent" (film noir surf music?) dissolves into group explorations of abstract tone colors and textures. Bendian, who usually plays drums and percussion, sticks to vibraphone, which he plays with a dry, vibratoless tone reminiscent of early Bobby Hutcherson. The rest of the band -- guitarist Nels Cline, bassist Mark Dresser, and percussionist Alex Cline -- give the music a flow and a light, dancing quality that nevertheless can pack a wallop when it's needed.

-- Ed Hazell