KEPHAS – ON THE THRESHOLD OF GREATNESS? by Jose Sierra[rating system: ***** - excellent / **** - very good /; *** - good / ** - fair / * - poor]
Floridian guitarist/composer Kephas is a many-faceted musician who shows great promise on his self-produced independent debut “The Threshold Of Truth” and its follow-up “Corazon De Leon.”
Three threads run through Kephas’ work: spiritual reverence, electric guitar prowess (showing the prominent influence of Carlos Santana), and Afro-Latin rhythms, particularly those of Kephas’ Cuban heritage. As such, his music often embodies the passion and earnestness of Santana’s 1970’s-era creative apex. He doesn’t quite play with Carlos’ fluidity, and as a fan of McLaughlin and Stevie Ray Vaughan his tone sometimes growls with more bite. Still, Kephas’ guitar voice is unmistakably steeped in the lyrical passion of the Latin Rock school of guitar. While Santana’s own recent guitar work has been criticized as formulaic, the fretwork on both of Kephas’ CDs is rife with the sincerity and delight of an artist on the rise, freshly inspired and feeling his oats.
Beyond his guitar chops, Kephas is a composer whose writing is interesting enough to hold even this world-weary reviewer’s interest. Underneath, he has laid a rhythm foundation aligning the sounds of congas, timbales and drum set into beats that are indebted not only to Latin Rock but also to the innovative timba movement, born in Cuba at the start of the 1990’s. In fact, Kephas’ musical and technical knowledge have enabled him to play all of the sounds on his recordings, using Latin percussion and keyboards as well as synthesized drums, bass and horns.
Kephas’ first release, “Threshold Of Truth” (2007) **** is an instrumental CD featuring compositions that, while they can be categorized as progressive Latin Rock, are quite varied in feeling.
The stirring melody and Afro-Cuban rumba underpinnings of “Threshold’s” lead song, “The Fall Of Death,” give one a momentary pause…is this a lost track from one of the great early 70’s Santana sessions? With this level of quality, the listener immediately realizes that Kephas is a man of prodigious talents.
Next on the program, the catchy guitar hook and mid-tempo rock feel of the thoroughly enjoyable “Away And Beyond” call to mind the best of Santana’s 1980’s work during the tenure of lead vocalists Greg Walker and Alex Ligertwood: pop-inflected, but appealingly so.
Kephas has stated that all of his songs are prayers, and the title track “Threshold Of Truth” makes the artist’s spiritual quest palpable. His melody cycles, ebbs, and surges, entering the celestial realms that Carlos and company explored on tracks like “Waves Within” and “Flame Sky,” but more dreamily, adrift through misty cloudbanks into brief bursts of sunlight.
“To The Victor The Spoils” melds the spirit of the digital age with that of the ancient “toques” of the Afro-Cuban batá drums, at the same time tipping its hat to Weather Report’s “Boogie Woogie Waltz.” The great Latin fusion band Caldera would have been proud of this mesmerizing piece.
From fusion, Kephas sets sail for romance on the next two tracks. The emotive “La Guadalupe,” in turns reminiscent of “Samba Pa Ti” and Patti Labelle’s hit “If You Asked Me To,” moves from ballad tempo into a double time section over which Kephas’ guitar flutters blissfully. “On The First Day Of Forever” brings the sophisticated ambience of standards like “Manha do Carnaval” and “Autumn Leaves.”
On “Paraiso,” Kephas’ instrument sings as sweetly as an innocent child, while we take flight over a virgin tropical forest of lush chord changes and flowing rhythm.
“Star Of The Sea” feels like a meditation on the sanctity of true, pure love. Its enveloping sense of profound calm is akin to Roberta Flack’s “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face,” but percolating percussion and a wailing axe keep Kephas’ reverie on a livelier side.
In “Calor y Ternura,” Kephas uses Dickey Betts brushstrokes to paint a lazy afternoon in the sun-kissed Southern countryside, hinting at the happy vibe of the Allman Brothers’ “Jessica.” As day turns to dusk, the stroll turns psychedelic before vamping out over a church choir-sounding synth line a-la the Stones’ “You Can’t Always Get What You Want.”
A Puerto Rican bomba beat drives the flamenco-tinged fusion strains of “Out Of The Depths,” first pensive and melancholy, then building into an anguished climax. Kephas, while not a virtuoso keyboardist, captures a bit of Larry Young or Tom Coster’s organ sound here, as he does on some of his other tracks.
“Again For The First Time – Part One” is surreal Latin Rock balladry that channels “Song Of The Wind” slowed to bolero tempo, while weaving in ecclesiastical and classic pop-rock threads.
“Threshold’s” final track “Visions Of Plenty” closes Kephas’ debut disc with the type of exuberant melody and percussive push found in some late-period Santana instrumentals, going out with yet another eloquent, emotionally gripping guitar solo.
Kephas spotlights the Latin colors in his palette on his sophomore project, “Corazon De Leon” ***1/2 (2007) . We are introduced to the artist’s Spanish language vocals over an electrified set of salsa/timba rock, realizing one of the artist’s goals for this album: creating danceable material suited for “deep, pronounced hip movement.”
“La Frontera Del Corazon” gets Kephas’ second disc off to a very promising start, as a mystical afro rhythm and blistering guitar proclaim an adrenalin-pumping safari of exploration.
Kephas’ lead vocal on “Fuego Sobre La Tierra” harkens back to the Cuban “son” tradition with charm and charisma while his guitar work injects infectious good feeling, the jauntiness of the track in contrast with its serious subject matter.
A spicy stew is on the menu with the two combustible cookers that follow, the darkly hypnotic minor dance groove “Bailando,” and the merengue-like mania of the title track “Corazon De Leon.” Next, Kephas settles into the album’s first ballad, “Gracias A Dios,” a tuneful bolero segueing into a double time section tailor-made for his joyous guitar exclamations.
“Que Me Dan’s” mozambique cowbell quickly gathers Afro-Beat and Latin Rock trappings while sanctified rumbero Kephas testifies to the struggles of spirit, the urgent sonic tableau recalling up-tempo jams by Fela Kuti, Osibisa, or El Chicano.
“Ven Ven” is one of the “Corazon” CD’s many successful blends of Cuban roots and moody electric rock textures. Kephas’ impassioned singing voice exhorts each of us to find our inner lion…then his dual guitar lead enters to great effect, hinting at “Jungle Strut.” Continuing in the inspirational vein, “El Espirito Santo” matches an inventive hybrid percussion groove with uplifting melody and changes to appeal to heaven for salvation, while echoing the Yoruba roots of Santeria in its chant.
Kephas’ cover of Santana’s “Europa,” this disc’s lone instrumental, is well executed but breaks no new ground. Kephas’ –original music-- honors Carlos sufficiently, and this reviewer feels that the Florida guitarist would make more of a name for himself by adapting some forgotten gem from the dusty record bins, rather than re-recording such a Santana signature tune in nearly the original arrangement.
“Una Vida,” a steaming chunk of cumbia-salsa rock, amps the intensity way up one last time. A closing journey of the heart takes us across the Florida Strait to Kephas’ ancestral homeland on “Llegaremos (Guantanamera),” which finds our protagonist using Cuba’s best-known song as inspiration for poetic musings on his faith-based philosophy and more good guitar licks.
Though Kephas’ “Corazon De Leon” is sometimes more “picante” than “Threshold Of Truth,” it is less consistently satisfying. As with “Threshold,” the use of stiff electronic drums, especially noticeable on ballads and some percussion breaks, keeps the listener from completing the musical leap of faith. Compounding the problem on “Corazon,” though, are the synthesized horns that have now joined the mix: they pale in comparison to the rich timbre of real salsa brass and woodwinds. Particularly undermined by heavy-handed imitation sounds are “Gracias A Dios” and “Bailando,” examples of songs that could be turned from cheesy fun into masterpieces with a switch to the sensitive, nuanced accompaniment of actual instruments.
Self-contained artist/producers have plenty of precedent in pop, R&B and hip-hop. Kephas’ music, however, calls for a higher level of artistry and for the group dynamic present in improvisational music like jazz and salsa. To reach these heights, musical partners will be needed such as a keyboardist with solo chops and a fiery live rhythm section.
Kephas’ song lyrics usually deal with spiritual matters, but are rarely preachy (with the exception of “Una Vida,” which is a bit strident). Still, Kephas may someday face the choice of broadening and tempering his message for the sake of secularly minded listeners or being pigeonholed as a Christian recording artist.
Lastly, Kephas would be well advised to find an expert designer/photographer to give his future releases a more professional look. The homemade graphics of the first two CDs, particularly “Threshold,” belie the quality of the music and might cause potential fans and music industry allies to steer clear.
Most important, though, are the facts of Kephas’ impressive talent: that his guitar playing often stirs the soul in the way that only the best musicians can, that his compositions are memorable and that his singing voice is appealing. As such, I can recommend both “Threshold Of Truth” and “Corazon De Leon” to fans of Santana, jazz/rock fusion and progressive Latin music. Latin Rock needs new blood and new ideas to stage a resurgence that can make it viable as a contemporary, evolving art form. Kephas has what it takes to become one of the leading lights of such a renaissance. Buy these two CDs, and you can say “I knew him when,” because once Kephas puts a band together and starts performing this music –live-- he just might become a household name.
[note: for Kephas news and updates, visit myspace.com/kephasmusic.
Both CDs reviewed here are available through CD Baby:“Threshold Of Truth” & “Corazon De Leon” .
Individual tracks are available for download through iTunes and various other digital download sites.]