Robert Hohner "Different Stroke"

Boasting a wide variety of influences, Different Strokes is one of those albums that is extremely difficult to categorize. Arguably, the Robert Hohner percussion ensemble is playing world music, which is a vague description because world music could be anything from Celtic jigs and reels to Mexican mariachi. In Hohner's case, world music means having a variety of percussive influences from different parts of the globe. Different Strokes is, to a large degree, an examination of the role that percussion plays in different cultures. Percussion instruments dominate this excellent CD, and Hohner's outfit provides highly rhythmic music that acknowledges the percussive traditions of Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean, and the Pacific Islands. Some of the material has more to do with rhythm than melody, but that isn't to say that Different Strokes is totally amelodic -- only that rhythm and percussion are the dominant elements. And Hohner's ensemble does some things that a traditional percussion outfit from the Congo, Brazil, or Bali wouldn't do: It incorporates elements of jazz, classical, and rock. While steel pan virtuoso Andy Narell's "The Songlines" and the Yellowjackets' "Wildlife" were both written by jazz musicians, "Scaramouche" is a Darius Milhaud piece -- and listeners can rest assured that Hohner and his colleagues don't play "Scaramouche" in a traditionally European way. Nor does "Bonham," which was written for the late Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham, sound like something from Physical Graffiti or Houses of the Holy. However, the tune does give us some idea what might have happened if Bonham had played with an ethnic percussion outfit instead of a metal/hard rock band. Some listeners might find Different Strokes to be a bit too esoteric at times, but those who are truly broad-minded will love the rhythmic roller coaster that Hohner provides. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide