Interchange One: Reviews and Quotes

KEVIN KASTNING & PAUL WERTICO - INTERCHANGE ONE

Kevin Kastning & Paul Wertico: Interchange One
(2026, download / streaming, --, greydisc records)
Kevin Kastning (baritone guitar, contrabaritone guitar) and Paul Wertico (drums, percussion, prepared drumset and talking drum) are releasing "Interchange One". It's their first collaboration.

"I was quite happy to be able to give the entire album a listening session.
Spontaneously composed, "Interchange One" is a beautiful sonic adventure.
It's remarkable how their sounds intertwine.

To be released later this month on Greydisc Records."

- United Mutations
  March 2026

"I was very happy to hear the works before they were released! It's impressive to me, I really like it! A real duo, no one wants to outdo the other, a joint creation!
The pieces follow each other, the order is good! Brother, your playing is like an orchestra, I can only say great things about Paul, he is a brilliant musician,
I always admired whoever he played with. Thank you very much, it was a wonderful experience, congratulations to both of you. I hope this work will be a great success.
You are a very, very good couple. I hope the album will be a success, congratulations again!"

- Balazs Major (HUNGARY)

"Thank you for the recording. I listened to it that very night, and to be honest, I wasn’t prepared for this music. For me it felt like the first official visit of extraterrestrials to planet Earth, and being invited to the welcoming committee as an honor. Such a density and intensity of energy I had never heard before—demonstrating that they are not from this world.

After listening through the whole album, I couldn’t find the words; I really had to digest it and sleep on it. Today I listened to it again, and now the musical content and the sound already greeted me like an acquaintance. Behind the overwhelming energy and the sea of sounds, I could already hear more subtle details.

I think I’ll need to listen to it a few more times before I truly understand the “language” of the aliens. Both of you brought out some deeply hidden creature from within yourselves. Paul showed a side of himself I hadn’t known before, and although we already clarified on the first day we met that you came from some other star system, I had never heard this much energy from you—sometimes almost with a joyful force.

Congratulations to both of you!"

- Sandor Szabo (HUNGARY)

"Sounds much better with headphones, and a lot more balanced between instruments than it seemed at first, though the guitar does get drowned out a fair bit, depending on the track. Without much (any?) reverb it's such a different sound than your other stuff.
Really good and amazing playing all around. Paul is astonishing, and you're sounding better than ever. I especially like Adjacent Flowing Streams VI - maybe it's got more space in it?"

- DS (US)

Kevin Kastning & Paul Wertico - 2026 - "Interchange One"
(4 out of 5 stars)

(42:51; Greydisc)

"This is the first collaboration between Kevin and drummer extraordinaire Paul Wertico who will always be celebrated for being a long-time member of the Pat Metheny Group with whom he won seven Grammy Awards. Here Kevin provides 30-string Contra-Baritone guitar, 30-string Double Contraguitar, 26-string Double Sub-Contraguitar, 24-string Double Sub-Contraguitar and Paul acoustic drums and cymbals (featuring the Wertico Ride), prepared drumset and talking drum. Wertico has appeared on hundreds of recordings, is Associate Professor of Jazz & Contemporary Music Studies at Roosevelt University’s Chicago College of Performing Arts, and conducts drum clinics worldwide, as well as releasing numerous critically acclaimed recordings, and also authored the groundbreaking drum instructional book, ‘Turn The Beat Around’. On this collaboration he often brings a very busy approach, while Kevin is more laid back, and the two styles are very contrasting in nature. It works best when Kevin is more upbeat, but when he is slowing down in styles, I find that to my ears Paul is not reacting in the same manner, so although this does feel like a collaboration as opposed to a clashing of performers, it is not as stable or complete as most of Kevin’s recordings. Given that Paul worked with Metheny for nearly two decades I did have very high expectations, but for me this release is interesting as opposed to essential. It is fascinating of course but is not one to which I would suggest for a newcomer to Kevin’s style, and of the four albums he has already released this year, this was the one I found most difficult to get inside."


- Progressor *Kevin Kastning & Paul Wertico - 2026 - "Interchange One"
(4 out of 5 stars)

(42:51; Greydisc)

"This is the first collaboration between Kevin and drummer extraordinaire Paul Wertico who will always be celebrated for being a long-time member of the Pat Metheny Group with whom he won seven Grammy Awards. Here Kevin provides 30-string Contra-Baritone guitar, 30-string Double Contraguitar, 26-string Double Sub-Contraguitar, 24-string Double Sub-Contraguitar and Paul acoustic drums and cymbals (featuring the Wertico Ride), prepared drumset and talking drum. Wertico has appeared on hundreds of recordings, is Associate Professor of Jazz & Contemporary Music Studies at Roosevelt University’s Chicago College of Performing Arts, and conducts drum clinics worldwide, as well as releasing numerous critically acclaimed recordings, and also authored the groundbreaking drum instructional book, ‘Turn The Beat Around’.

On this collaboration he often brings a very busy approach, while Kevin is more laid back, and the two styles are very contrasting in nature. It works best when Kevin is more upbeat, but when he is slowing down in styles, I find that to my ears Paul is not reacting in the same manner, so although this does feel like a collaboration as opposed to a clashing of performers, it is not as stable or complete as most of Kevin’s recordings. Given that Paul worked with Metheny for nearly two decades I did have very high expectations, but for me this release is interesting as opposed to essential. It is fascinating of course but is not one to which I would suggest for a newcomer to Kevin’s style, and of the four albums he has already released this year, this was the one I found most difficult to get inside."


- Progressor (Uzbekistan)
  March 2026