Hysear Don Walker: "Complete Expressions"

A 30^th birthday present from my mom.  Strictly for the rhodes heads.  Hysear Don Walker is a somewhat mysterious figure…he worked as a sideman with Young-Holt Unlimited for a time, and the Chicago/post-Ramsey Lewis style of grooved-out, live-in-the-studio sounding keyboard jams is in full effect throughout this LP.  This record is painfully short, but manages to be effective in its evocation of ethereal rhodes tone and mood.  It has a subdued, very personal quality to it, with only “Fat Flower, Skinny Stilk” and “Hydel” really upping the tempo.  The other tracks, particularly “Inner Face,” “Jade Silhouettes” and the Beatles cover “Dear Prudence” exude a sort of pensive energy that rewards more upon repeated listens.  This is the kind of album for a glistening early morning, coffee in hand and thoughts in flux, the day coming subtly to life just as the songs from this LP gently persuade and awaken.  Singular.