The dense vocabulary that Belgium-born, Brooklyn-based drummer, percussionist, and composer Raf Vertessen possesses is fit for a wise veteran. The catch is, he’s only 27. In just a short stint, Vertessen has quickly established himself as a force in New York City’s improvised music scene, counting avant-garde titans like Joe Morris, Joe McPhee, Ingrid Laubrock, and Ches Smith as mentors.
The influence of those luminaries—particularly Smith—resounds on LOI, Vertessen’s standout debut as a bandleader. But the loose-jointed Belgian has his own voice, which he employs with ever-shifting tempo changes and mathy fury that give the listener a case of whiplash. While Vertessen is perfectly adept at artful nuance, he’s constantly in your face throughout the nine tracks on LOI, thwacking and thumping his drum kit like a mad beat scientist.
from https://jazztimes.com