(D)RUMINATIONS is the debut recording by The Forest, a five member cooperative percussion ensemble featuring Gustavo Aguilar, Leah Bowden, Andrew Drury, Lesley Mok, and Michael Wimberly.

The album consists of an extended suite that Andrew Drury wrote for The Forest in homage to his mentor, Ed Blackwell, and a composition that percussion great Warren Smith wrote for, and recorded with, M’Boom. Warren Smith and J. D. Parran (bass flute, contra-alto clarinet, bamboo saxophone, and wood flutes) are guest performers on (D)RUMINATIONS.

Recorded, mixed, and mastered by Grammy Award winning producer/engineer, Jon Rosenberg, (D)ruminations leads the listener through lush sonic landscapes created by instruments originating from a variety of traditions. The recording highlights the legacy of the legendary drummer, Ed Blackwell, and advances the tradition (largely neglected) of the composing, improvising, multi-cultural percussion ensemble.

The composition, “(D)ruminations for Edward Blackwell,” is a four-part, 44 minute suite that uses material culled from the Don Cherry/Ed Blackwell duo recordings “Mu First Part” and “Mu Second Part” from 1969. Blackwell was one of the most melodic drummers ever to play a drum set making his work ideal for compositional exploration.

Andrew Drury mentored with Blackwell from 1983 until 1992 and recently began the (D)ruminations series to explore specific drum melodies, patterns, sonic images, memories, and other ideas that emerged from his time listening to and studying with Blackwell, memories that have lovingly haunted Drury’s musical imagination for over 40 years.

Warren Smith’s composition “Elements of a Storm,” was composed for the percussion ensemble Smith co-founded with Max Roach and others, M’Boom, in 1969. It can be heard on M’Boom’s records Re:percussion (Strata East, 1973) and Collage (Soul Note, 1984). On this version members of The Forest play body percussion and five timpanis while Smith guides the way, also playing gongs, bass drums, and triangle.