Dominic Gaudious is an eclectic instrumentalist who impacts emotionally charged riffs and rhythmic intensity to his rocking original world beat music on “Dance Rock Didjeridoo.” His cornerstone is some impressive guitar work, bass lines, drum programming, and compelling didjeridoo. With the help of some track looping and guitar synth, Dominic has created some mighty powerful musical magic. Ken Anoff’s percussion and Peter Spoecker’s didjeridoo (on two cuts) add to the overall excitement. Every time I listen to this album, I hear new musical nuances that exemplify Dominic Gaudious’ distinctive music. Some of it’s very funky, has a disco beat and makes you want to dance. Some of my favorite pieces, however, are those that conjure up images of journeying to far distant lands. Many of Dominic’s innovative compositions seem to be about wandering backroads and flyways to adventurous places (Arabian Rock Jam, Finding My Way, Hang Up & Drive, The Traveler, Never Look Back, Flying). With its compelling didjeridoo opening, “West Side Jam” has a nice groove. The real showpiece for that instrument, however, is the album’s engaging closer, “Dance of the Didjeridoo.” A nice change-up might have been a few more slower and more acoustic offerings like “Downtown Dancing Man” or others emphasizing his classical, jazz and flamenco influences, but Dominic prefers to thematically keep the majority of this release emotionally electric and thrilling in a rock vein. As an aside, the embedded track coding on this CD correlates with a different Dominic Gaudious album (Where I Stand) so it’s a bit difficult to follow. I hope that doesn’t affect his ability to get radio airplay because his music deserves to be more widely heard. The total package is one that’s creative, expressive and locomotive. (Joe Ross)
                            Read more...