Tom Teasley

Time Travel (1996)

Time Travel is a vibrant and exploratory album that reflects Tom Teasley’s signature approach to percussion as both a historical and futuristic force. In this release, Teasley blurs temporal and cultural boundaries, creating a musical journey that feels as rooted in ancient ritual as it is propelled by modern improvisation and innovation. Each track becomes a kind of sonic time capsule — a fusion of global traditions and forward-thinking technique.

Drawing from a wide spectrum of instruments and influences, Time Travel incorporates Middle Eastern frame drums, Indian tabla, electronic hand percussion, and wind instruments, all performed and layered by Teasley himself. The result is a one-man orchestra that channels traditions from across centuries while crafting something unmistakably contemporary. Rhythms unfold in cinematic arcs, often meditative and textural, then suddenly driving and urgent — capturing the ebb and flow of movement through time.

At the heart of the album is a deep respect for global musical heritage, refracted through a modern jazz sensibility. Teasley’s compositions often draw upon traditional rhythmic structures, but he reshapes them with an improviser’s instincts and a composer’s precision. The balance of ancient and avant-garde gives the album a timeless quality — one that connects listeners to something primal while nudging them toward new sonic horizons.

Time Travel stands as a testament to Tom Teasley’s unique voice in contemporary music: a master percussionist with a storyteller’s soul. With this album, he offers more than music — he offers a perspective on time, culture, and rhythm as a shared human language. It’s an invitation to listen beyond the present, and to hear the echoes of history pulsing through every beat.