Dave Corwin

Dave Corwin's music fuses art prog-rock and tribal funk rock styles with heavy use of exotic percussion that is a staple of his live shows. Many Hands is filled with intricate instrumentation by Corwin with help from Daniel Seballos James (percussion and drums) and Russ Allen (guitars), along with a few others. Corwin's lyrics delve into a personal psyche with cathartic revelations throughout. His vocals often carry an early Bowie influence with strong flourishes. This is a complex album that will have you quickly immersed in Corwin's world of sound. - Gajoob

There are plenty of references to Corwin sounding a little like Bowie, and they're not wrong. On many of his songs, the ghost of Ziggy and moods from the earlier, quirkier Space Oddity can be found all over the shop. I was particularly surprised at the actual quality of the production and overall completeness of the album. Corwin's passion is his almost limitless collection of percussive instruments from around the planet. Actually, I was quite surprised that his use of these often odd instruments doesn't predominate.

Obviously there are a few tracks that have an abundance of percussion, like The Seed, and The Soil - but they sound more like Western interpretations of World rhythms and don't get in the way. I can also hear the reference to John Lennon as well on some of Corwin's vocals. There are 14 tracks in all, and I really can't find a duffer among them.

Kind of soft-prog meets heavy folk meets first class musicians and some pretty neat songwriting. Shaolin Master, The Root, Can't Kill The Dream, Fall and Pass The Years are worth noting, but like I say, the whole album works well. Thanks to Tim Jones (yet again) at Stone Premonitions for sending it my way. (Dw) - Modern-Dance Music Review Magazine

Dave Corwin is a new name to me but he appears to be a multi-instrumentalist from the United States. Many Hands is a curious album as Corwin changes style at the drop of a hat and seems to delight in popping in the odd comedic track. He is joined by several guests, but in the main, this is all his own work and it is very difficult to categorize.

Kicking The Rain is a reggae-based ditty whilst Shaolin Master is a glorious ode to Kung Fu. The Seed is a short percussive work on which there are no rules and So Sad (Great Movie) is an intelligent and delightful homage to the movies. Corwin does seem to have some of the quirkiness that George Harrison demonstrated but he also comes up with some pretty conventional rock with the likes of Not Your Place and Pass The Years.

Many Hands is a pleasant and easy going album from a musician with undoubted talent who has produced an album that really defies categorization, but then is that a bad thing! - Journal Of Classic Rock Society

This is a fascinating fusion of classic progressive rock and funk combined with a heady and extensive exotic tribal percussion sound that just sweeps you away into areas of mystery and wonder. Lyrically, Mr. Corwin digs deep into what appears to be an extensive array of personal demons and uses his music to help exorcise some of them.
If you were looking for an easy vocal comparison the Newleyish mannerisms of early David Bowie spring to mind, but without the affectation of said Zowie. So called World music gets a bad press through the heavy handedness of the likes of Peter Gabriel, but this CD goes way above and beyond that.
It's rare to find a sound that is unique to its creator nowadays, but this mélange comes close. Best tracks: Kicking The Rain and Shaolin Master. Highly recommended! - Zeitgeist - Reflections Of The Underground