The Anderson-penned "Momentuum" is a free-flowing piece suspended from time-keeping and held together only by Witham stating the melody via an accordion.
Even though Cline isn't on this piece, it evokes his work with whack jazz accordion player Andrea Parkins. "The Circle" is a heavily percussive piece that features some nice, tight interplay among Amendola, Conte, and Anderson, before Witham takes over with some fluid soloing that calls to mind Lyle Mays. As a matter of fact, the whole song could fit right in a Pat Metheny Group record, sans Metheny himself.
"Afrobeat" gets going with the sub-Saharan percussion at the four minute mark, when Anderson's bass riff emerges. With the insistent African rhythm, stand up funk bass and Witham's spaced out electric piano, it's almost a dead ringer for a Herbie Hancock Mwandishi tune. Cline's weirdly wah-wah'ed guitar provides an additional dimension, that rock element that Miles brought to his fusion of around the same time.
"Who Knows" and "Light and Life" shifts gears into lyrical ballad territory via acoustic trio territory. It's here where Witham's rapport with long-time associate Anderson really shines. The ending "Con Quien" is, like those two, a more quiet piece but Leisz' pedal steel provides a mildly country flavor.
Did I mention that with the exception of "Momentuum" and "Who Knows", all of these diverse tunes were composed by the same person? That's right, David Witham. Amazing how a guy barely known can still be so surprising, when you consider the crowd he runs with. But with a disc like Spinning The Circle, he's a guy whose music is something I wouldn't mind with getting much better acquainted.
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