Having reviewed David Dower’s releases and noted with each of them how the music felt more developed and mature, I finally caught him with his band live a year or so ago at London’s Hampstead Jazz Club. I was expecting a run-through of his latest album like many musicians do when touring but Dower, as ever, sprung surprises.
Sure, there were some tracks from the album but there were also new numbers, re-works of familiar tunes, and even a crazy version of a well-known pop number. Dower, like his music, proved entertaining and engaging – even doing a mock bow to me when he realized I was there. Dower is popular with audiences and fellow musicians and seeing him live made me realize why, as he is as generous to others on stage as he is in sharing their skills on recordings.
He introduced Elliot Sharp, a guitar player from London, that night. Sharp plays on Sonder, which is Dower’s new release with his trio. “Trio” is but the half of it in reality though, because the album features numerous musicians including Dower on piano (Dower is also the composer of most numbers), long-term collaborator Matt Fisher on drums, Kim May on bass, Elliot Frost on guitar, Zhivko Vasilev on kaval (a flute instrument used in folk music), Peter Buny on percussion, Tristan Rebien on brass, vocalist Vesela Morova, and folklore singers Rayna Vasileva (lead) Pirina Hristova and Gabriela Milanova. Lyricists include Mariana Vasileva (Bulgarian) and David Dower and Gabriel Lynch (English).
Dower is from Australia but is obsessed with Bulgaria’s culture, folklore and people. He is well-received there and Sonder – the fourth release with the David Dower Trio – follows a fifth tour of the country by Dower. The album follows Dower imbibing more of Bulgaria’s myths, legends, folklore and music – and it can be summed up in one word: magical. It is not a word I use lightly but the atmosphere, changes, rhythms and atmospheres Dower and his band capture here justify the word.
Jazz, rock and popular music meet Bulgarian folklore, in a combination that is unique yet utterly compelling. The music on Sonder reflects Dower’s fascination with Bulgaria and also introduces listeners to sounds we are not used to. They’re melded together with Dower’s modern take, becoming both engaging and alluring. Bulgarian musical techniques including dense vocal harmonies, lilting dance rhythms and unique instrumentation are worked into the music, to reflect the experiences of Dower’s time in the country and with its people.
Sonder was recorded in Sofia, in collaboration with local Bulgarian musicians and the traditional elements of the Kaval, and other Bulgarian traditional elements meld tastefully with a rhythm section of piano, bass, and drums. This is the David Dower Trio’s most mature release to date, showing development in their music.
“Kopneya (I Am Longing)” opens with an emotive, dramatic Bulgarian chorale, and develops into a wistful, lilting 5/8 groove, based on the traditional Bulgarian folk dance of Paydushko Horo. Frost’s take on the rhythm patterns introduces a fervent and energy-packed guitar solo that is followed by an emotive harmonic shift of the main theme to a major key that serves as a reminder of the early part of the track, backed with harmonized vocals to imply a nostalgic feel.
On “Rachenitsa,” David Dower leverages the rhythm of the traditional Bulgarian folk dance of the same name to form the backbone of the main theme and its influences can be felt throughout the number. Vasilev’s Kaval offers a beautiful link to the origin of the rhythm and his delivery is expressive and beautiful. That’s countered by Dower with a quirky piano solo, delivered as only Dower can. Rhythmic lines are skillfully tapped out in a melodic progression, completing a number that’s as uplifting as it is crazily emotive. Accompanied by Matt Fisher on djembe, “Rachenitsa” is a superb weaving together of the modern protagonists with traditional folk music. Kim May’s fuzz bass adds a sound synonymous with the trio but tempered to allow the folkish lore to come through.
“Sonder Says” features vocalist Vesela Morova, a Berklee graduate from Bulgaria who sings in English. The song was co-written by Dower and Melbourne-based songwriter Gabriel Lynch, with lyrics that explore confusion. “I’m in a daze, a sea of faceless people rushing past me … got me screaming in my head … can’t concentrate.” There’s a realization that it’s not just the singer in this situation. Finding another person who understands her, his life equally as vivid and complex, leads to understanding and accepting simply being present.
“Julius” is a guitar-driven country waltz. It is energetic, fun and gently uplifting. Composed for Dower’s nephew, this track is led by Frost who showcases an array of expressive tones and creates a masterful solo. Matt Fisher adds an equally impressive solo on drums. It’s a builder of a track, each phrase adding layers of sound and more plays on the rhythms.
“Vyara (Faith)” was composed after Dower studied the harmony of Bulgarian Christmas carols. Rayna Vasileva leads the folklore singers, referencing vocal styles that historically derive from the Rhodope Mountain region of Bulgaria. The dark and brooding motif that traverses this number features dense vocal harmonies and swirling Kaval embellishments. The percussive rhythms are provided by a Fisher on a Kanjira, an Indian hand drum.
No David Dower album is complete without his unique interpretation of a well-known song. On Sonder, that song is Starship’s “We Built This City.” The original has been voted both the worst and best song of the ’80s on different polls, so Dower was drawn to it in this currently divided world. Bulgaria is a nation that holds music and dance close to its heart so Dower took the song for better or worse and turned it into an original, complete with quirky twists and turns, plays on the rhythm and patterns. He also somehow incorporates the groove from Elton John’s “Bennie and the Jets” into the chorus. As Dower says, “Why not? Bernie Taupin wrote the lyrics to both songs.”
Sonder is a superb album, demonstrating how music from different cultures, histories, and origins has commonalities and differences, and how experienced musicians can blend elements and celebrate one simple thing – the music. Since The Frog, the Fish and the Whale in 2016, through The Fieldgate Sessions, Made in Sofia, There Are No Stars and Mravka, David Dower and his musical ensembles have made recordings that are uniquely their style. Sonder is a mature, solid album that makes an uplifting listen.
- David Dower Trio – ‘Sonder’ (2025) - March 23, 2025
- James McGowan Ensemble – ‘Reaching Out’ (2024) - December 18, 2024
- Joan Torres’s All Is Fused – ‘Embrace Form’ (2024) - July 14, 2024
