Reich: Mallet Quartet, Sextet, Nagoya Marimbas & Music for Pieces of Wood

For an indication of Third Coast Percussion's innovative approach to these oft-recorded pieces by minimalist composer Steve Reich, navigate to the third movement of "Sextet", which they perform alongside pianists David Friend and Oliver Hagen: Their stark rhythmic attack has a blend of power and resonance that’s absent from other recordings. Then go back and savour the whole setlist, which surveys early Reich (“Music for Pieces of Wood”), '90s work (“Nagoya Marimbas”) and late-career pieces ("Mallet Quartet"). As on their all-John Cage album, these percussionists offer revelatory performances throughout.