Unruly Neighbors became a thing when San Francisco Bay-area native and fixture Sameer Gupta moved his drums, Indian percussion pieces and himself across the country to Brooklyn, a short walk from guitarist Ben Tyree’s place. The proximity inspired a duo project that explores the endless paths that can be taken by improvising guitar and drummer when each come to every performance with the intent to do something special. Much as Charlie Hunter and Leon Parker did twenty years earlier, these two fusion-istas with a wide world of cultural experiences imbedded within them make music bound only by imagination.
They presented their music to audiences but when the COVID-19 lockdown bit down hard on NYC, they went to work on a studio album, swapping ideas from safe distances after the telepathy had already set in. Unruly Neighbors was actually put together quickly, which in this case worked out for the better. There’s nothing stale in these tracks.
Setting a pattern heard throughout much of the record, Tyree presents two guitars for “Land Rights”; one gentle and ingratiating and the other acerbic and aggressive. Gupta can react to all this with a certain nimbleness hard to find from conventional drummers. Tyree really does make his guitar cry convincingly on “Crying Earth,” as Gupta is the one holding down the root note on the tabla part of his hybrid drum set. When Gupta pivots over to the drums part of his kit, the groovin’ gets going. For “Long Pause,” Tyree pours it out over an extended pattern, eventually making way for Gupta to solo creatively without loosening his grip over the timekeeping.
Gupta’s approach to classical Indian instruments is one of a kind, very much informed by Western styled rhythms. When he starts “Community Garden Run Amok” on the tabla, it’s barely noticeable when he transitions to the drums part of his repertoire and Tyree’s series of short, acerbic remarks fit into it easily. “Sassafras (for Kundan B.)” has an even bigger dose of Gupta, as Tyree lurks in the shadows and adds only what’s needed to bolster his neighbor.
The lack of bass opens up a space that makes both the percussion and guitar reverberate deeper and longer on tunes like “Mercury Direct” and “Your Own Worst Enemy.”
The program of new, forward-thinking pieces ends with the ancient “The Water Is Wide.” It’s a very sensible choice. All throughout the album, the duo make music reflecting an unfamiliar emotional state borne out of the concurrent national setbacks in public health, economy and racial strife. This medieval Scottish hymn is a timeless song of reassurance, and Tyree’s guitar rings out the melody with deep resonance.
Sameer Gupta and Ben Tyree make music that’s direct and sometimes abrasive but also easy to absorb because they mesh so well together. Buy a copy of Unruly Neighbors from Bandcamp.
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