Short Reviews [Kevin Kastning & Paul Wertico - 2026 - "Interchange One"]

This is the first collaboration between Kevin and drummer extraordinaire Paul Wertico who will always be celebrated for being a long-time member of the Pat Metheny Group with whom he won seven Grammy Awards. Here Kevin provides 30-string Contra-Baritone guitar, 30-string Double Contraguitar, 26-string Double Sub-Contraguitar, 24-string Double Sub-Contraguitar and Paul acoustic drums and cymbals (featuring the Wertico Ride), prepared drumset and talking drum. Wertico has appeared on hundreds of recordings, is Associate Professor of Jazz & Contemporary Music Studies at Roosevelt University’s Chicago College of Performing Arts, and conducts drum clinics worldwide, as well as releasing numerous critically acclaimed recordings, and also authored the groundbreaking drum instructional book, ‘Turn The Beat Around’. On this collaboration he often brings a very busy approach, while Kevin is more laid back, and the two styles are very contrasting in nature. It works best when Kevin is more upbeat, but when he is slowing down in styles, I find that to my ears Paul is not reacting in the same manner, so although this does feel like a collaboration as opposed to a clashing of performers, it is not as stable or complete as most of Kevin’s recordings. Given that Paul worked with Metheny for nearly two decades I did have very high expectations, but for me this release is interesting as opposed to essential. It is fascinating of course but is not one to which I would suggest for a newcomer to Kevin’s style, and of the four albums he has already released this year, this was the one I found most difficult to get inside.