For decades, percussionist Randy Gloss has been recognized as one of the world’s leading hand percussion virtuosi, with an astounding breadth of knowledge and cultural understanding. An expert in musical traditions from across the globe, he brings a deep and expansive approach to rhythm and percussive sounds as he once again dives into personal exploration. As Gloss’s new solo album’s title suggests, “…The Ayes Have It” Vol. II: Self-Portraits in Percussion is, on one hand, a seamless continuation and companion to Vol. I (released on Orenda Records in 2015), while on the other, a stand-alone narrative, showcasing new directions, different facets, instruments, and ideas not explored on the first. On both, Randy Gloss explores an extensive palette of sonic possibilities through a deeply reflective and personal approach, with the world of percussion and rhythm as brush and canvas, utilizing the double LP vinyl record format as it’s frame.
A protégé of renowned percussion vanguard John Bergamo and longtime student of tabla maestro Pandit Swapan Chaudhuri, Randy Gloss is a percussionist whose background performing several modalities of hand drums, contemporary percussion, and drum set has led to his involvement in many innovative ensembles that fuse world music with new music and jazz. Most notable for his work with Hands On’Semble, a percussion group devoted to the art of hand drumming created by John Bergamo in 1997 (with Randy Gloss, Andrew Grueschow, and Austin Wrinkle) and multiple recipient of Drum! Magazine Reader’s Poll Award for Best Percussion Ensemble and Best Percussion Album, Gloss has performed and lectured throughout North and South America, Europe, and Asia at many of the world’s premier percussion and world music festivals, music schools and conservatories. Randy has also worked with an extensive array of world renowned artists including: reggae superstar Ziggy Marley, violin icon L. Shankar, pianist Larry Karush, The Lian Ensemble; percussionist Adam Rudolph’s “Go: Organic Orchestra” and world percussion group Vashti; slide veena virtuoso Chitravina Ravikiran, Balkan/Indian maestros Aashish Khan, Swapan Chaudhuri, Miroslav Tadic, Vlatko Stefanovski; Romanian pan flute virtuoso Damian Draghici; overtone singer David Hykes; Turkish musician Latif Bolat; Vinny Golia’s Large Ensemble; pianist Ardeshir Rohani; flautist Nicole Mitchell, pianist Dan Siegel, and South Indian percussionist Poovalur Sriji to name only some. He has also contributed percussion for film soundtracks by composers Danny Elfman, Harry Gregson-Williams, and Gary Chang, and is on faculty at California Institute of the Arts, where he has taught since the late 90’s
On “…The Ayes Have It” Vol. II: Self-Portraits in Percussion Randy Gloss brings all his experience to bear in an incredible set of solo compositions featuring a dizzying array of percussive instruments, including aFrame (electrorganic frame drum); tabla; frame drums; metal restaurant pot; mason jar; water; double row mark tree; bamboo mark tree; vibraslap; gongs; tuned gongs; cymbals; bells; antique cymbal with jingles; dafs; dhavul/ tappan; handsonic; riq; drumset; pandeiro; cuica; congas; gankogui; dholak; vibraphone; cheng-cheng; reco-reco; bull roars; and wind wands. This gorgeous double LP, mixed by John Baffa and mastered by Stephen Marsh, is presented as a limited-edition double gatefold two LP vinyl album with accompanying booklet and digital download card, original artwork by Eron Rauch, and extensive liner notes by Randy Gloss.