Mark Wingfield with Yaron Stavi and Asaf Sirkis – Proof of Light Review by Gary Hill
There is plenty of fusion here. There is more than that, though. From a little modern King Crimson to Al Di Meola and more, the range is fairly wide. It’s all effective and strong, too.
This review is available in book format (hardcover and paperback) in Music Street Journal: 2015 Volume 2 at lulu.com/strangesound.
Track by Track Review
Mars Saffron
With a number of shifts and changes, this is a killer fusion track. It has more rocking elements and mellower ones. The guitar that drives it is powerful, but the drumming has some moments where it seriously shines, too. The keyboard sounds are worth mentioning, as well. This is a great way to start the set in style.
Restless Mountains
Although there are no major changes here, this is definitely not to be mistaken for the same piece. In some ways this is more reflective and textural. It’s no less powerful and impressive, though. The drums get an even more pronounced solo here. I like the bass sound on this one quite a bit.
The Way to Etretat I really love some of the melodies on this piece. There are some hints of world music built into this cut. I love the section where it drops back for the bass to shine. Some of this piece definitely makes me think of Al Di Meola. The drum workout on this one is particularly noteworthy, too.
A Conversation We Had While this is cut from much the same cloth as the rest from a stylistic point of view, it’s nothing near feeling redundant. It is another especially effective tapestry of fusion.
A Thousand Faces This is a mellower piece. It’s more adventurous and exploratory, though. It isn’t quite the straight line that some of the other numbers are. However, it’s every bit as compelling..
Voltaic There is definitely a bit of a modern King Crimson element to this piece. It’s another that’s very adventurous. It’s much harder rocking at times than the previous cut was. It does wander into mellower territory, though. That section lands it closer to space music at times. It really gets quite noisy and rather insane later. It eventually works back out to the opening section
Summer Night's Story There is a full on drum solo built into this beast. I like the bass sound on the cut, too. Otherwise, it’s more of a typical mellower fusion number.
Koromo's Tale Atmospheric sounds with the bass really exploring open this number. The piece remains on the mellower more reflective side, but does move and progress.
Proof of Light The closer is a solid piece of fusion. There are no big surprises here, but just an effective cut.
