American percussionists David Friedman and Rob Waring return with Wayfarers, a magical collaboration that seamlessly crosses jazz, classical, and improvised music. Recorded over several years in Friedman’s Berlin apartment, the album captures the duo’s extraordinary interplay, where vibraphone and marimba merge into a communal, improvisational soundscape. Featuring original compositions by both artists, as well as two jointly composed pieces, the album closes with a fresh interpretation of Bobby Timmons’ classic Moanin’.
From the opening track, listeners are enveloped in a dialogue where individual virtuosity takes a backseat to collective expression. As John Surman observes, the musical interplay is so intertwined that trying to distinguish who plays what becomes irrelevant — the music itself is the ultimate communicator. Tracks like Wayfarer, Hungarian Snipsody, and Go Figure showcase the duo’s shared sensitivity and creativity, while compositions such as Web of the Spider and That, and Something Beyond reflect their fearless approach to improvisation and textural exploration. The closing piece, Moanin’, honors jazz tradition while underscoring the duo’s capacity to breathe new life into familiar repertoire.
The album was engineered by Friedman and Waring themselves, with mixing by Thomas Hukkelberg in Oslo, capturing the intimacy, nuance, and detail of their instruments. Across seven tracks, Wayfarers becomes a journey of sonic discovery, blending subtlety, energy, and expressive depth into a single cohesive statement. The result is a recording that transcends genre boundaries, revealing the profound possibilities of collaboration between two master percussionists.
David Friedman contributes vibraphone and marimba on select tracks, while Rob Waring alternates between marimba and vibraphone, creating a dynamic interplay that continuously shifts the listener’s focus. Wayfarers is an intimate, boundary-defying work that celebrates improvisation, connection, and the transformative power of sound.
