It’s rare that a music video lets the viewer into the mind of the musician. Sure, the concept is almost blindly obvious. And yes, many a video has presented many an interpretation of many a song. But the visual for steel pan player Jonathan Scales’ “Muddy Vishnu” is almost like a Being John Malkovich set inside Scales’ own world of found rhythms, visions, colors, friends, inspirations and rare silence.
“Muddy Vishnu” is a track from Scales forthcoming album, Character Farm & Other Short Stories, described on Dreamspider.wordpress.com as “a 45-minute dive deeper into the compositionally-twisted work of steel pannist Jonathan Scales. The nine original instrumental “stories” on the album take listeners from the primal Jam We Did to the lush Hallucinations of the Dream Chasers. The title track Character Farm takes the audience into a chilled, ‘worldly’ ride after the frantically emotional The Longest December. Guest appearance on the record include Jeff Coffin (of Dave Matthews Band / Bela Fleck & the Flecktones), Yonrico Scott and Kofi Burbridge (of Derek Trucks Band fame) and the dazzling work of fiddle virtuoso Casey Driessen.”
Driessen will open for Scales at his CD release party. Friday, April 1 at the Emerald Lounge. 9 p.m., $7 cover or $15 cover + album.
Watch “Muddy Vishnu” here:
