There are people who have pure talent. I think regardless of what they do, it comes through. Art, music, poetry. Patrick Grant is one of those people. I had heard his music as part of the “Titled Axes” project which Robert Fripp was a part of. Do I have your attention now? “A Sequence of Waves (twelve stories and a dream)” is the latest from the multi-talented Mr. Grant. He plays guitar, bass, viola, piano, keyboards and percussion on the album while getting great support from other very talented people.

The album has great variety to it when it comes to sounds with the vibe feeling more like a soundtrack to a non-existent movie. From the violin led opener “Lucid Intervals” to the Dixie Dregs influenced “Driving Patterns” to the slow drag of “Tobacco” to the upbeat Kansas feel of “Firearms” to the open jam of “Breaking Butterflies Upon a Wheel”:the arrangements are connected even when the approach is different. This gives each track (and I mean each track) its own unique identity. This is a rare commodity.

Kudos to Lynn Bechtold on violin who really shines throughout the album! Drummer John Ferrari also turns on a great performance on all tracks. So plenty of praise right? Ah but it’s not perfect. There’s a vocal sample on “Sevens Years at Sea” that drives me crazy! I don’t mind samples when used sparingly but this one loops through out the song and gets really annoying. There are two preludes on the album and as someone who finds short interludes to be a crapshoot, I’m not sure how vital they are to the album as a whole.

There’s actually a lot of music packed into “A Sequence of Waves (twelve stories and a dream).” Which track is the dream? I suppose they all could be stories or dreams, depending on your view of things. One thing is for sure, Patrick Grant is a fine composer and “A Sequence of Waves (twelve stories and a dream)” is an album that will please fans of great instrumental music.

Rating: 8.5/10

Tracklist:

Bandcamp: tiltedaxes.bandcamp.com/album/a-sequence-of-waves-twelve-stories-and-a-dream