Mysteries of the Revolution - Longing for the Dawn (2022)

Fourteen years after releasing their critically acclaimed eponymous debut album, Mysteries of the Revolution are finally back with ‘Longing For The Dawn’, a brand new, fully instrumental jazz-rock/prog fest including nine scorching tracks (retaining echoes of passionate progressive 70s fusion trail blazers such as Mahavishnu, Weather Report, Return To Forever, Santana, Soft Machine, etc).

‘Longing For The Dawn’ has proved a sustained and arduous journey for virtuosic keyboardist/composer Daniel Biro and multi-instrumentalist BB Davis (drums, flute, voice). Following the tragic and untimely death of the band’s close friend and bassist Mark Smith (to whom ‘Longing For The Dawn’ is dedicated) compounded by the Covid crisis, they have nevertheless worked relentlessly towards a new advent, a new awakening, resulting in ‘Longing For The Dawn’.

Biro and Davis are joined on the album by brilliant Neapolitan guitarist Vincenzo Lamagna making a guest appearance, as well as contributions by Andy Alexander (bass), Don Stuart (alto flute) and Russ Parker (guitar). But this is mainly a fiery keyboard-led album of Rhodes electric piano, Hammond organ and analogue synths driven by Davis’ pulsing drumming and unique solo flute beatbox forays (particularly evident on the visceral ‘Babylon Everything’).

The compositions are a mixture of memorable melodic statements soaring above big heavy grooves (‘You Turn me On’, ‘Heavy On Karma’, ‘Joe’, ‘Pharaoh’s Scribbled Phantasms’) alternating with more delicate ethereal melancholy moods (‘Longing For The Dawn’, ‘The Distance Between Us’). And while there is some extensive soloing throughout, the playing never strays into gratuitous technical show-off territory.

Biro says: “Our aim was, yes, to evoke those heroic days of 70s jazz-rock with its burning electric energy and guru-led grandeur, but mainly we wanted to inhabit the spirit of risk-taking and adventure that those artists inhabited. People like Zawinul, Corea, McLaughlin, Zappa, Hancock were great players but also fabulously original composers who
went beyond categories and genres. With this album I think we’ve reached our peak. We’ve put all our ideas and soul into these tracks.”

In true Renaissance style, BB Davis is also a consummate painter whose work has been exhibited throughout Europe. His artwork graces the album cover (a detail from his work ‘Eyeless In Gaza’) and there will be a special limited collectors item edition of individually hand-painted, signed and numbered CD sleeves by Davis. Each a unique work of art.