With the ninth release in his Random Access series, Barry Romberg delivers, yet again, with his marvelous energy and creativity. Last year, Romberg’s Existential Detective racked up plenty of accolades — garnering a Juno nomination in the process — but with The Gods Must be Smiling, he takes a different approach.
Departing from his previous large-ensemble recordings, Romberg instead opts for a smaller, stripped-down approach, with Geoff Young (guitar), Rich Brown (bass) and Robie Boto (keyboards) rounding out the effort. Guests Kirk McDonald and Kelly Jefferson add edgy saxophone to the mix, resulting in a tight group that handles high-energy tracks such as “1st Things First” as easily as more contemplative pieces, such as “Lowell’s Bowl” and the record’s title track.
Throughout, Romberg’s sharp, perfectly positioned drum work punctuates Young’s stunning guitar work and Boto’s driven keyboards. It’s a smaller group, for sure, but the project captures Romberg and his colleagues at an improvisational high water that has this album living up to its lofty title.
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