Drew Gardner - Cygnus A (2024)

A majority of the music Drew Gardner has made over the years has been deeply collaborative, in contexts where his skills with improvisation can shine: with Elkhorn, Jeffrey Alexander + The Heavy Lidders, and his own Flowers in Space band. Cygnus A, where Gardner is playing and multitracking all the instruments, marks a shift in his approach as well as his intention, drawing the audience closer for an inward listening experience.

With an earthy yet cosmic vibe, this multi-instrumentalist solo foray explores themes of distance and nearness. The album title Cygnus A refers to a distant galaxy that is one of the brightest radio sources in the sky. Its broadcast from space comes from a supermassive black hole generating energy as it consumes material, causing electrons to emit radio waves as they spiral outward in magnetic fields.

Recorded in Gardner’s home studio in Harlem, Cygnus A forms a suite of serene pieces that create a soothing, mesmerizing psychedelic flow. The songs are named for our closest stars, and the album is voiced using instruments best heard at an intimate range — the mbira and zither. And while his electric guitar still plays a role, Gardner has stepped away from guitar soloing on this effort in favor of celestial leads on the zither. Fittingly, Gardner’s ability to play a variety of instruments runs deep and serves him well in guiding listeners beyond this earthly sphere.

ARIST BIO:

Guitar player and multi-instrumentalist Drew Gardner plays improv-heavy, groove-based instrumental psychedelic rock music that stretches across several genres. His Flowers in Space band is based in New York City. He has three previous albums under his own name and plays guitar and vibraphone in Elkhorn (ten albums) and Jeffrey Alexander + The Heavy Lidders (four albums).

Tracklist:
1.01 - Drew Gardner - Pollux (5:30)
1.02 - Drew Gardner - Vega (6:00)
1.03 - Drew Gardner - Polaris (7:17)
1.04 - Drew Gardner - Castor (6:41)
1.05 - Drew Gardner - Betelgeuse (7:36)
1.06 - Drew Gardner - Aldebaran (3:13)
1.07 - Drew Gardner - Alpha Centauri (3:35)