Sitting in the comfortable if not slightly tight environs of NYC’s famous Iridium club, I heard a woman next to me remark that Terry Bozzio’s massive drum set looked like a spice market. And indeed it did. The eight bass drums, overhead rack of cymbals behind and in front of where Mr. Bozzio sits, a vibraphone, tuned toms and assorted regular drums was one thing; the hanging bells and shells were another. With an overheard gong, arc of a metal framework behind and around it, Terry Bozzio’s set is a visual feast for the eyes, something the crowd was getting up looking at and taking pictures of well before the spiky black-haired 63 year old drummer (who looks more like 30) got on stage to play it.

Mr. Bozzio entered, bowed to the crowd (on what little of the stage there was left for him to stand on) and began by entering the back of his set running those little shell fist-fulls through his nimble fingers. From the get go it was a quiet, studied start to Bozzio getting into position to master his set. The first song as the second came complete with a thrumming prerecorded backbeat with Bozzio making the most round his tuned toms.

This is not drum solo territory. Bozzio is tackling compositions for drum he has written over the years (as he told us just before the last song when he took a break to address the crowd). I was especially taken with how he stays off the snare for the most part, brilliantly incorporating all he is doing with his feet (and there were some truly wild flicking furies of feet along the way here…with 8 bass drums, you have to be ever vigilant) and the blistering snap from front cymbals to snare used so sparingly but truly wild enough to get the crowd gasping.

There was a moment Bozzio came from around the set to play a percussion box/Cajon? on stage and stomp one of those shell-like percussion trees again. We were all in awe of his speed and strength just playing bare handed.

The show was an hour (Mr. Bozzio had two sets that night, as he had the night before). The what and how of what this world class one-of-a-kind drummer managed I can’t rightly say, but it was truly amazing, that’s for damn sure!