Deep Water is the spectacular new studio collaboration between progressive rock stalwart Neal Morse and former Genesis drummer Chester Thompson, alongside guitarist Phil Keaggy and bassist Byron Home, often called Cosmic Cathedral. Morse and Thompson focus on the formation of the band and the album that provides a lot promise for the long run.
Age is not any obstacle to creativity and virtuosity. Such is the case with Cosmic Cathedral, a brand new collaboration between Neal Morse and erstwhile Genesis drummer Chester Thompson, with veteran guitarist Phil Keaggy and bassist Byron Home. The common age of the 4 members heard on debut album Deep Water is 70.
But regardless of the advantages of that a lot expertise, it’s not all the time simple to take care of your chops, as Thompson explains: “For me, practising is an ongoing factor. I’m at an age now the place a part of my apply is to retain what I’ve all the time accomplished. However I’m all the time trying to enhance and go to new locations.”
Since he left Spock’s Beard in 2002, Morse has loved a prolific solo profession that’s included epic productions with ideas centred round his Christian religion. However there have additionally been extra secular-oriented collaborations, together with Transatlantic, Flying Colours and The Resonance. And whereas Cosmic Cathedral provides sonic elements acquainted to Morse followers, the artistic course of was quite completely different.
“I’d gone to see the Steve Hackett Band right here in Nashville,” Morse explains. “I went backstage and Chester and Steve had been collectively within the dressing room. I used to be like a fly on the wall, listening to them discuss concerning the outdated days. As I used to be driving away, I felt like I ought to collaborate with Chester one way or the other.”
Thompson continues: “We had lunch, then we got here to my place and jammed for a bit, simply to see the place it went. Neal stated it could possibly be good so as to add another guys. So we began kicking round who to ask. It seems the those who I had in thoughts had been folks he had historical past with – Phil and Byron.
“We acquired collectively and jammed simply to see the place the music would go naturally. We simply began enjoying; a few of it ended up on the ultimate recording. Neal is a superb arranger, so he was capable of take the bits and items we did and provides them form and type, and he additionally added some bits.”
Morse is stuffed with reward for Thompson’s capability to adapt to any enjoying location or fashion. “Chester had a bit Triton keyboard. I’d by no means performed with him earlier than and I didn’t wish to play too loud, however I used to be amazed that we might jam collectively in the identical room with dwell drums and be capable to hear every little thing.
“Chester performs within the room to style, and I simply thought it was so cool and completely different. With many of the drummers I play with, you gained’t hear your self when you’re in the identical room, until you had a Marshall stack.”
Thompson says it’s a part of his musical DNA. “Ranging from the very first drum set classes, I’ve performed a number of acoustic jazz, so I’m used to performing in a room with an acoustic piano and bass. I actually get pleasure from that. I taught for 20 years at a college right here in Nashville, and one of many issues I’ve all the time labored on with my college students is studying learn how to pay attention.”
Thompson, who’d been reintroduced to progressive music a number of years in the past, toured Europe in 2023 with Australian band Unitopia. It was a baptism of fireplace since he was nonetheless recovering from a critical leg harm. “I’m again enjoying and every little thing’s advantageous now,” he says. “I’m nonetheless having to work on being fitter; for some time I needed to again off a bit bit.
“Doing the tour with Unitopia was the primary time I performed after the harm – I used to be in excruciating ache after each present, however I knew I wanted to get by it. It was nice that Neal refused to just accept a pedestrian strategy. Neal pushed me in a course I hadn’t visited in a number of years, which was to actually dig in and go for it.”
“I cracked the whip!” Neal says. “I believed it was all flowing fairly effectively. We had been working with Jerry Guidroz, the engineer that I’ve used for a very long time. I’ve acquired to offer him a number of credit score for modifying all of the jam session tapes, as a result of we did a number of enjoying with simply Byron and myself and Chester. So there have been a number of issues to drag out, however that included some stunning little sections.”
“Jerry was just about part of the band,” provides Thompson. “His instrument was the recording tools. He was very current –he’s a drummer himself and he acquired it. Some guys are actually technical however have by no means performed an instrument. Jerry understood precisely what we needed.”
Whereas the opposite musicians had been essential to the tone of Deep Water – though neither come immediately from prog backgrounds. “Phil Keaggy is a virtuoso guitar participant; he’s an actual legend and he’s gained an enormous variety of awards,” Morse says. “I’m primarily accustomed to his music that he created with [70s jam band] Glass Harp. I’ve accomplished some improvisations with him and he sang and performed on my One album in 2004, and I’ve been desirous to do extra stuff with Phil for years. I used to be particularly excited for us to sing harmonies collectively – that’s a very magical factor.
“Byron performed on [2003’s] Testimony as a employed standup bass participant. He’s additionally native; I needed to have native Nashville guys so it wouldn’t be such an extravaganza simply to get collectively. Phil prompt Byron as a result of they’d made a jam album. I didn’t know Byron was such a very good improviser, however I had a very good feeling about him straight away. I feel you’ll be able to hear that on the report.”
I simply say what I really feel in that second… It’s a problem as a Christian and as an artist to attempt to say it in a manner that’s sincere
Neal Morse
Deep Water treads a advantageous line between the extra structured prog acquainted to Morse ffans – particularly within the 38-minute titular suite – and the fabric that originated from their jam periods, with its looser, open really feel, nearer to the softer jazzier rock of classic Steely Dan or Toto.
Opener The Coronary heart Of Life begins with a startling burst of jazz fusion earlier than settling right into a extra acquainted prog construction. In the meantime the beautiful Time To Fly and the catchy Strolling In Daylight (with lyrics by Keaggy) is perhaps labelled – for need of a greater phrase – yacht rock. Prog wonders if these shifts in tone had been intentional and if the entire album might need been extra in that jazzier fashion.
“I feel as musicians, we don’t label it a lot,” says Thompson. “We play what we hear, then it’s as much as the buyer to resolve what to name it. I’ve gotten in bother often as a result of my background is so diversified. It’s like, ‘What are you? Are you a jazz man? Are you a rock man?’ However I get it. If I purchase a field of corn flakes I need corn flakes – I don’t anticipate one thing else within the field. However on the identical time, I feel this album was a very sincere reflection of what got here out of this mix of gamers.”
One other facet of Deep Water that will intrigue listeners is the lyrical content material, which balances between Morse’s favoured Christian inspiration with materials of a extra fluid which means. For example, the heartfelt ballad I Received’t Make It might confer with the affect of a deity, however would possibly equally reference a liked one or pal. Morse admits it may be a tough stability to attain.
Many of the issues I’ve deliberate fall by after which one thing a lot better comes alongside!
Chester Thompson
“After I’m writing lyrics, I don’t know the way persons are going to take issues. I simply say what I really feel in that second, and likewise what appears applicable to that piece of music. It’s a problem as a Christian and as an artist to attempt to say it in a manner that’s sincere.
“Generally issues will be too ‘on the nostril,’ as one collaborator of mine calls it. They’ll say, ‘That’s a bit too on the nostril. Can we go round that a bit?’ And I admire that. Generally this album will get fairly on the nostril; different occasions, it doesn’t. However hopefully it’s a very good mix.”
Each musicians see Cosmic Cathedral as greater than only a studio venture. “It’ll be fascinating to see how folks obtain it,” says Thompson. “If there’s an viewers for it, I’d like to play these items dwell. However then, I’ve acquired to memorise it – we did a number of it in sections.”
Morse needs to take Deep Water on stage too: “We’re enjoying Morsefest and we’ve acquired feelers out for another festivals. One of many issues about bands is when you get pleasure from being with one another, it’s nice to get out and play, so that you get to spend extra time collectively.”
After all, each musicians stay busy. Morse reels off a string of actions together with a joint tour with The Resonance and The Flower Kings scheduled for the summer time.
Thompson continues to work with Unitopia, and does a number of recording work from his dwelling in Nashville, in addition to some native jazz gigs. “However I’m not an enormous planner,” he admits. “In reality, many of the issues I’ve deliberate fall by after which one thing a lot better comes alongside!”
