Berlin, Leipzig, Dresden

A few months ago we dug into a bunch of German jazz festival recordings from the 60s and 70s. It was a joy to spend time with those recordings, suffused in their history and importance, fortunately, it is suffice to say Germany is a still fertile ground for free jazz. Whether it's the rapid-fire ping-pong exchanges, tonal explorations, or extrapolations of the music from Ms. Pac-Man, ideas seem to be flowing free!

Gropper, Graupe, Lillinger - Riot (WhyPlayJazz, 2016) ****

This isn't a debut - Berlin based saxophonist Philipp Gropper, guitarist Ronny Graupe and drummer Christian Lillinger have been sufficiently busy as Hyperactive Kid for well over a decade. They released a few albums on Jazzwerkstatt, and now as it seems that label is winding down a bit, the trio has hooked up with WhyPlayJazz, releasing a live album celebrating their first 10 years together (10 Year Anniversary Live, 2015), and have taken the opportunity to shed the old name. Their new release, Riot, is a texture rich album rife with exploratory electronic sounds, abstract rhythms, wrapped in the musical ease that a long time association can bring.

The opening track's title 'Being Dark is Easy' may as well refer to how naturally the spacious ambience of the night slowly passes until the melodic dawn. Once awake, the group stretches out its arms and embraces the new day. The musicians bring a range of approaches - the guitar is often minimal, offering judiciously placed single notes or chiming chord fragments, and sometimes flat out rocking. The sax, possible the most prominent of the voices, switches between staccato lines and flowing melodies, weaving between the drums and guitar. Of course, Lillinger is more than just the glue that holds the group together, providing pulse and texture, and injecting a lot of personality into the music. The longer tracks are interspersed with short sound exploration - like the 10 second clatter of 'Repeat!' and the minute and a half electric crinkle of 'Demons'. A great listen!  - Paul Acquaro

Themroc 3 (WhyPlayJazz, 2016) ****

Two wind instruments and drums, the Berlin based trio of drummer Michael Griener, trumpeter Richard Koch, and clarinetist Benjamin Weidekamp excel in energetic, enjoyable music making. Parts and passages are obviously composed, there is no way that the syncopated and jaunty melody on tracks like opener 'Post für den Tiger' are made up on the spot, however, they are alive and delivered with as much fresh excitement as if they were. As the track progresses, the three splinter effortlessly into free improvisation.

The songs have elements of humor and reference to more traditional and folk music. Also, as melodic and entertaining as the winds are, special mention of drummer Griener is warranted - he is as much a melodicist as a percussionist, his work on 'Jippi Brown’s 18th Birthday' stands out. By the third track, 'Marsch' it seems like the group is establishing itself in the free-jazz/avant-traditional of the great Zentralquartett.  - Paul Acquaro

Punkt 3 - Ordnung Herrscht (Clean Feed, 2016) ****

Leipzig's Punkt 3 is a trio comprised of Tobias Pfister (sax), Noah Punkt (bass), and Ramon Oliveras (drums). Ordnung Herscht, their album on clean feed records, is a bright, rhythmic work that combines improvised jazz with punk rock sensibilities. Noah Punkt in particular recalls Mike Watt in his playing, with strong notes and deft movements throughout that works well with Pfister's nimble saxophone play and Oliveras' drumming. Standout tracks are "Dieter-Miguel," showcasing Pfister's lyricism; "Rummeln," with its latin tinged polyrhythms, building towards a powerful closure; "Pacgirl," riffing off of the arcade game's theme song, and "Ponk," a free jazz skronk fest. All the tracks are short and to the point, no extensive jams here. And with its brevity, the smart variety of music, and excellent execution makes Ordnung Herrscht a delightful listen. Recommended.  - Stefan Wood

Zur Schönen Aussicht -Willkommen Zuhause (Whyplayjazz, 2016) ****

On this recording from the Dresden based trio Zur Schönen Aussicht, the playing is telepathic and the many pieces mesh delightfully. The website mentions that this was a recording of first takes - good energy coming from high stakes!

The group is saxophonist Paul Berberich, guitarist Joachim Wespel, and drummer Florian Lauer, all new names to me, and while the line up is similar to Gropper, Graupe, Lillinger, the music takes a different path. Whereas Gropper, et.al, really dig into the textures, Zur Schönen Aussicht are more straight ahead, melding choppy melodies, hints of modern jazz, and a little prog-rock into the mix (tell me 'Wir mit wem?' doesn't have a hint of 90125 in its DNA). There are moments, like in the track 'Kritische Masse' that I am reminded of the music of the Mary Halvorson Trio's album Dragon's Head - it has that same lean, angular, irregular, and accessible approach.

From the Ornette Coleman inspired riff on the opener 'Schwingen ohne Club', to the emotive squall and dramatic climax of 'Phlegma und Enge', and finally the woozy drone and gently unfolding melody of 'Herbstlichst', there is a lot to hear, here!

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Just the two of us

The final installment of duo's week...

By Paul Acquaro

Trevor Watts & Stephen Grew - Con Fluent (FMR, 2016) ****

Saxophonist Trevor Watts has had a wonderfully creative and imaginative musical career, from his early exploratory work with the Spontaneous Music Ensemble, to his groups Amalgam, Moire Music, and beyond. On Con Fluent, he continues his restless journey in a duo with Stephen Grew, a pianist who is also deeply embedded in the U.K.'s improvised music scene.

On Con Fluent, the two are a virtual duo. Grew sent a recording of a few improvised sets to Watts to play over. The results are sublime and had the information about the overdubbing approach not been revealed, one probably would not have expected it. For example, 'Sadness of Rhyme' is a complex dance, with deep pockets of silence and delicate interactions that feel spontaneously exacted with no deference to the time and space between them. Another track, 'The Lit and Phil Chair' begins with a powerful burst of saxophone over low scrapings of the piano's strings. On 'Ask Later' it all comes together as the clever 'composition' from Grew swirls together with Watt's saxophone in a a 15-minute mini-epic that ranges from introspective to exuberant.

Alexander Hawkins & Evan Parker - Leaps In Leicester (Clean Feed, 2016) ****

How inappropriate would it be not to follow with this duo release from fellow SME alumni and saxophonist Evan Parker with UK-based pianist Alexander Hawkins? Parker and Hawkins have collaborated before, but the very fine Leaps in Leicester is a first for them as a duo. Overall, it's an accessible and enjoyable album, comprised of four tracks just teeming with life and variety.

Hawkins has a sharp attack, his approach is percussive and decisive. Parker, on tenor sax, plays with a crisp tone and fluid approach, filling the space between the notes and taking full advantage of the musical base that the piano provides. The opener 'Jump Start' begins with a spaciousness that grows denser over time. The second track 'Gambade' also has a quiet start, key-clicks and light prepared piano plinks appear like the first faint stars in the night sky. As the song goes on, ever more constellations appear and the vibrant cosmos is slowly revealed. 'Shimmy (for Tony Marsh)' is a 30-minute track dedicated to the renowned percussionist who passed away in 2012. The track begins reflectively with a lovely intertwining of Parker and Hawkins melodic lines, the track then begins picking up a great deal of intensity, even when Hawkins drops out and all the focus falls on Evans tenor.

This is a wonderfully diverse and dynamic collaboration, it sports a really clever title to boot!

JC Jones & Yoni Kretzmer - Esoteric Duos (OutNow, 2016) ***½

This rich double-CD was released earlier this year and features a series of duos anchored, on disc 1, by Israel-based bassist JC Jones, and on disc 2, by NY/Israel-based saxophonist Yoni Kretzmer. Their collaborators are bassists Barre Phillips, Mark Dresser, Reuben Radding, Sean Conly, Damon Smith, Pascal Niggenkemper, woodwind player Steve Horenstein, and violinist Carmel Raz.

The album begins with Jones and Horenstein working the low-end, rumbling to life with key clicks and percussive slaps of the bass strings. A flurry of notes erupts from the sax as the two then deliver an evolving duet of incredibly condensed energy. The bass-on-bass duet with Phillips - also firmly in the low register - is full of percussive chatter and rhythmic inventions. 'Mark Dresser,' the third track leans on elongated tones and experimental melodies, building to a feverish climax. Skipping ahead to Kretzmer's duos, the first one is 'Trumpets,' and it's out there! Buzzing and sputtering, it's a bit like a fight between a UFO and a bee. The trumpet here is Pascal Niggenkemper's unusual bass work. On 'A Day Later,' Kretzmer opens the floor for frequent collaborator Reuben Radding, whose pizzicato playing seems to cast a calm over the track. The penultimate 'Drinking Song' with Sean Conley, kicks off with a boppish line that always seems poised to explode, yet keeps itself together. Of note are the two collaborations between Kretzmer and Jones. On disc 1, Kretzmer plays rapidly and tunefully over Jones' solid accompaniment. On disc 2, they are focused on exploring the outer limits of their instruments.

This album is a must for bass lovers, especially the esoteric ones!

Chris Cretella and Lou Guarino - Suspicious Diversions Questionable Amusements (s/r, 2016) ****

Suspicious Diversions Questionable Amusements is the result of an excellent pairing of two new Englanders who bring a deep knowledge to their spontaneous collaboration. Guitarist Chris Cretella has studied with (among others) Joe Morris and Anthony Coleman, while trumpeter Guarino cites the friendship and guidance Wadada Leo Smith.

The first track, 'Thunder Plunge' features the trumpet/guitar duo sounding nothing like a trumpet/guitar duo. Cretella's guitar is processed to the point of being an electronic blip while Guarino plays long sputtering tones. It feels very unusual - a true testament to their creativity. Track two, 'Razor Jarts' features more conventional sounds, but the melodic ideas are wholly original. Seemingly parallel in their play, a deeper listen reveals a great deal of interaction and sparks from colliding ideas. Throughout, the duo demonstrates a genuine gift playing off, and listening to, each other. This is one that keeps growing more interesting on each spin.

Markus Stockhausen & Florian Weber - Alba (ECM, 2016) ****

This piano and trumpet duo's austere debut album is simply and utterly gorgeous. Aside from the crystalline production qualities that make an ECM recording so, both the compositions and the free improvisation that fill the tracks of Alba are lyrical and poignant. The two German musicians, trumpeter Markus Stockhausen and pianist Florian Weber, have apparently worked together for six years, at first incorporating electronics but eventually jettisoning all they could for the pure acoustics.

The opening 'What Can I Do For You?' is a rubato and expressive piece. It moves slowly, taking several pregnant moments of near silence to manifest, but when it does, it foreshadows the winsomeness to follow. The pace quickens a bit on 'Mondtraum', and by the third track 'Surfboard,' the duo is scuttling about unabashedly, with Weber providing the prominent theme, which Stockhausen helps with brief accentuation and shadowing of the melody. Each track - and there are many with 6 minutes being the longest - possesses a unique quality and differing approach, each one offering an interesting diversion.

Alvaro Domene & Briggan Krauss - Live at the Firehouse Space (Iluso, 2016) ***½

Something cool about the Firehouse Space in Brooklyn is that it really is an old firehouse. Now a private residence that opens its doors to creative music, it's a treat just to visit. The music of saxophonist Briggan Krauss and guitarist Alvaro Domene added some additional experimental luster to the space when they performed the music found here in June of this year.

The opener, 'Minimum Height to Ride,' is actually the bulk of the recording at 44 min, while the second track, 'The Sophomaniac,' seems to be a 4-minute encore. The atmosphere the duo develops is enveloping, the slow ooze at the start is created by Krauss' intensely rhythmic phrases and Domene's deliberate chordal movement. The fog burns off quickly though as the two engage in an intensely percussive passage that raises the tempo and quickens the pulse. Throughout the performance, they move seamlessly from sound-sculpting to earth-scorching,

Miguel Crozzoli & Pablo Díaz - TIERRA (NendoDango Records, 2016) ****

This duo recording builds on the hallowed template of saxophone and drum duo, the format that John Coltrane and Rashied Ali created in 1967, and that many others, like Paul Dunmall and Tony Bianco have sought to perfect, and that now these two young Argentinian improvisers are making their own. Miguel Crozzoli has studied both in Argentina and in Canada, developing a robust approach to free playing that is informed, melodic, and fierce with thoughtful precision. Diaz is an integral member of the SLD Trio, an educator, and an expressive and empathetic partner on Tierra.

Their music draws from the 'spiritual' well, as their every note seems to form from somewhere deep and intangible, rising to the surface in expressive waves. Crozzoli's playing flows smoothly, though with unexpected intervals. Diaz's drumming roots the melodies and occasional bursts with an ever-shifting palate of rhythmic texture. A stand out track is 'Ritual', in which the tension is created subtly between the two players. 'Dudas Cruciales' also maintains the tension but works though a whole host of other exciting musical ideas along the way.

Enrique Norris & Paula Shocron - Sono-Psico-Cosmica (NendoDango Records, 2016) ****

I'll wrap up this long, but hardly exhaustive, review of duo recordings with the utterly satisfying Sono-Psico-Cosmica from Buenos Aires based musicians Enrique Norris and Paula Shocron. Shocron is the vibrant pianist and percussionist from the SLD Trio (with Pablo Diaz), and Norris, who also plays a remarkable cornet, leads his own trio. The two come together to create some musical magic on this recording from a 2014 concert.

Starting with a co-credited 'El Grill Cosmico', the two use their pianos to create in a single voice - completing each other's thoughts and accentuating each other's ideas, it's a truly collaborative effort. In spite of the conscientious space between notes, the intensity grows throughout the track. The Shocron credited follow up is the smokey 'La Puerta R' and features Norris on the cornet. The twin piano line-up returns for an intense and abstract take on the Charles Mingus classic 'Orange was the color of her dress, then silk blue'. The moods and intensity vary from track to track, and it wraps with a spirited take of 'Monk's Dream'. Pure pleasure to hear!

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Duos

The music of the duo can be one of the most intimate and revealing configurations in improvised music. The solo performance is one of introspection and self-revelation but the duo setting brings a heightened level of interaction and exposure to the music.

By Paul Acquaro

John Butcher & Andy Moor - Experiments With A Leaf (Unsounds, 2015) ****½ 

This collaboration, recorded live at the 'Zoom In' festival in Switzerland in 2013, begins with the scratch and scuff of Andy Moor's electric guitar and a focus on the instruments low end. Saxophonist John Butcher comes in with a buzzing tone, making a beeline into the heart of Moor's percussive sounds. Next, Butcher takes the lead with a set of saxophonic chirps and other extended techniques that react with the harmonics and tonal clusters of the higher end of the guitar. Other tracks find the duo listening intently to each other as they devise their unusually compelling tone poems, and 'Joy is the Headlight' is an absolute scorcher featuring Moor's distorted guitar and Butcher's hearty tone in an uptempo romp. This shortish release (30 minutes) is a fantastic mix of extended technique and improvised playing. Never feeling forced or unnatural, the leaf that they experiment with here is healthy and green, and firmly attached to the branch it grows from.

John Dikeman & Dirk Serries - Cult Exposure (Tonefloat, 2015) ****½

This is a fascinating recording - it captures a captivating blend of John Dikeman's incredibly powerful saxophone and Dirk Serries expressionistic electric guitar. The tracks are aptly titled: 'Monolith Song I', which opens the recording and 'Monolith Song II' which closes it, are huge moving masses of sound. Serries creates a distorted and textured slabs as Dikeman builds up layers of fiery improvisations. The title track takes a more nuanced and melodic approach as the guitar is pulled back in the mix and the saxophonist spins a emotional tale. Cult Exposure is an LP release with an MP3 download - but not sold separately - get it while if you can.

Hamir and Ben - Clarinet and Drums (s/r, 2015) ****

Almost primal at times, this stripped down duo release features Ben Goldberg (clarinet & Eb Bass Clarinet) and Hamir Atwal (drums) playing a set of short tracks, mostly improvised, that run the gamut from folksy whimsy to heavy metal (or rather, wood?). It's a joy to hear Goldberg's deep earthy timber rattling along side Atwal's skittering groove on 'All About That (contra) Bass', or the squelch that begins 'Caffeine Headache' - no instrument has the sounds that a bass clarinet can make when delving into the extended techniques. This one is a real treat!

Henry Kaiser and Scott Amendola - Leaps (2015) ****

Leaps jumps right out at you. The title track off guitarist Henry Kaiser's and drummer Scott Amendola's duo album begins with a rhythmic crash and a razor thin burst of distorted guitar. Kaiser's lines mesh with Amendola's ferocity in a pulsating miasma of improvisation. It is always great to hear Amendola paired with a guitarist - whether it's the funkier playing of Charlie Hunter or the expansive brilliance of Nels Cline - he always brings the right amount of support and energy to the situation. Kaiser is a player who defies easy categorization. I was introduced to his work through Yo Miles! and he has a deep and eclectic catalog, including work with Cline. Not five minutes into the 24 minute opening track the atmosphere completely changes, and finds Kaiser working with abstract arpeggios and Amendola going textural. 'Sproing' features Kaiser digging into the blues bag a bit, but not for long, as the song shifts into quiet reflection and then leads into the desolate abstraction of 'Blinks and Blinks'. The closer 'The Wrong Suit' is a blast of avant-prog, from the insistent, but not straight ahead, pulse to the aggressive and slashing guitar work, it's a fitting closer to this duo's excellent album.

Elliott Sharp & Scott Fields - Akra Kampoj (New Atlantis, 2015) ****

From the opening notes of 'Bagsant' you can tell that you are in for an unusual  guitar-heavy treat. With at least 12 electrified strings between Elliot Sharp and Scott Fields, they choose play a single note figure basically differentiated only by the tone of their guitars - the left side is fuzzier. Small changes make all the difference until their lines diverge and the song opens up. 'Denisova Stomp' features some rapid melodic lines and delicate intersections but then becomes quite heavy towards the end. The elements of the track are many and varied, changing textures and tones swing from quiet to fearsome at the flick of a pick. This duo's obvious chemistry is not without some history. I last checked in with Fields and Sharp back in 2012 when I reviewed Afiadacampos, which was an acoustic effort. Either way, acoustic or electric, this is the work of two master musicians, who together create a fascinating world straddling composition and improvisation.

Bill McKay & Matt Lux - December Concert (eyes and ears, 2015) ***½

This is one to file under post-rock or maybe even post-Americana. On December Concert the duo of guitarist Bill McKay and bassist Matt Lux work together to create a relaxed soundscape. The album starts with 'Orbitz Unknown' featuring a spacious, somewhat Frisell-like atmosphere. Other tracks follow suit, but also so do more aggressive passages where the tempos pick up and distortion creeps in. In a sense, this is a more traditional duo, utilizing the instruments to create more straightforward melodies and bass lines. The songs seem structured, but loose enough to encourage that the musicians to explore on their own, while still keeping tightly connected. Both musicians are a part of the vibrant improvised music scene in Chicago.

Cheryl Pyle and Biggi Vinkeloe - Flute Duo / Raw Sound Sweden (s/r, 2015) ***½ 

This intimate flute duo encounter, captured in the cozy confines of the Downtown Music Gallery is a definitely worth a listen. New Yorker Cheryl Pyle is joined by the Swedish flutist Biggi Vinkeloe for a liberating exchange of ideas. From uptempo sparring to reflective contemplation, the 15 minutes of duo flute captured here is listening time well spent. The rest of the album is with Swedish group 'Raw Sound Sweden' - is quite good as well.

Denny Zeitlin & George Marsh - Riding the Moment (Sunnyside Records, 2015) **½

This is an interesting album - I was both drawn to it and a bit put off by it. What troubled me at first - and which I grew to accept at times - was the constant change of synthesizer sounds. Often, I heard the switch of the sounds as much as a part of the improvisation as the actual playing, but at other times, the sudden switches made the album seem like a demo for the instrument. However, when no longer distracted by the 'patches', there is something really interesting in the improvised musical conversation between Zeitlin's keyboard work and Marsh's percussion, the duo's interactions reveal their long time association.

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Astral Spirits Roundup

The Austin-based, limited-edition, cassette-only label Astral Spirits was founded last year with the clear mission: to release avant-jazz and experimental from all over the world. The first releases sounded as taken from ad-hoc projects and challenged the audiophile listeners but more recent releases proved that this label may found its own niche, introducing music that does not subscribe to any conventions and is genre-blind.

By Eyal Hareuveni

John Dikeman - The Double Trio (2014) ***½

Prolific American, Amsterdam-based sax player John Dikeman is known for his high-octane, power outfits, among them his trio Cactus Truck. This ad-hoc Chicagoan double trio continues this explosive approach, featuring trombonist Jeb Bishop, who adds electronics, double bass players Joshua Abrams and Jason Roebke and drummers Mike Reed and Frank Rosaly. This sextet was recorded live at the Elastic club in Chicago on January 2011.

The three pieces feature The Double Trio in a dense and muscular interplay. Dikeman and Bishop articulate loose ideas, propelled by the hyperactive, restless rhythm section. The set begins with a massive blowout but later adapts a more searching tone that continues in the beginning of the second piece, “Apparitions”, where the nuanced, spare texture is patiently gains more power and volition. The last piece, the 23 “Wrong Record” begins with a dramatic, conflictual blows of Dikeman and Bishop, both employ extended breathing techniques, before the sextet joins and ups the fast, energetic interplay until the explosive, cathartic coda.  

RED Trio -- Live in Munich (2015) ****

The Portuguese RED trio -pianist Rodrigo Pinheiro, double bass player Hernâni Faustino and drummer Gabriel Ferrandini, was recorded live on april 2014 during its 2014 European winter at the Munich Underground at Einstein.  

The set highlights the telepathic, restless interplay of this trio, cemented through five previous releases and collaborations with other experienced improvisers as the British sax player John Butcher and Swedish vibe player Mattias Ståhl. The trio is about to release soon another album, recorded four days later during the same tour with Polish sax player Gerard Lebik and trumpeter Piotr Damasiewicz.

The two free improvised pieces, “Munich 1” and “Munich 2” are both intense and fast. The interplay is totally democratic, enabling personal freedom and equal opportunities for all musicians to push deeper and forward, but never loses its collective focus. Even in such spontaneously improvised setting, the pieces sound as mature, rich compositions that blend organically between highly personal languages, dramatic tension building, subtle inquisitive sonic passage and minimalist, almost silent trio segments, especially on the second piece.

Mike Majkowski - Neighbouring Objects (2015) ***½

Australian, Berlin-based double bass player work is focused on exploring the full spectrum of the bull fiddle resonance qualities, often by creating a sense of stillness. Neighbouring Objects is a solo drone work, featuring Majkowski adding to his resonant deep-tones palette subtle sounds created on the accordion, bass guitar, piano, percussion, and field recordings.

The three continuous piece on the first side, “Chandelier/Gondola/Echoing Stars”, and the one on the second side “Carnival of Decay”, stress a highly disciplined, patient and minimalist approach. The tension is structured methodically through accumulating, repetitive layers of resonant overtones, impressive command of extended bow techniques and intense focus but with no attempt to reach a cathartic release. It is all about the sound, a rich, nuanced one, as if time stands still, while the listener is encompassed with disturbing, dark waves of higher and higher resonant sounds. There is no real escape from the masse of sounds but there are some distant rays of hope in the coda of the “Carnival of Decay”.   

Icepick -Hexane (2014) ***

Icepick is the short-lived power trio of American trumpeter Nate Wooley and drummer Chris Corsano - who collaborated before on Wooley’s song cycle Seven Storey Mountain - and Norwegian, Austin-based double bass player Ingebrigt Håker-Flaten, known from another power trio, The Thing, the modern jazz quintet Atomic and his own The Young Mothers. Hexane was recorded live at the Shapeshifter Lab in Brooklyn in November 2013. Writer Clifford Allen suggests in the liner notes that the trio name describes its aesthetic - headed toward incision, like a workman carving of structure out of a sonic block.

This live recording stress the urgent spirit of powerful free improvisations. The first piece, “Pentane”, begins with a searching tone and a fractured, chaotic pulse, but almost immediately form a muscular interplay. Wooley plays in an excited, energetic bursts, while Corsano solidifies the driving-swinging rhythm and Flaten the low-end sonic spectrum.  The second piece, “Heptane”, explodes in its very beginning but turn soon into a much more contemplative and loose improvisation, where all three musicians search and experiment with the sonic envelope of the trio, and only Flaten attempts to anchor this improvisation in a cohesive structure. Towards its coda the trio settle again on a cathartic, rhythmic interplay. The constant chatter of the audience is quite audible on this piece and disturbs this sensitive sonic experience.

Boxhead Ensemble - La Hora Magica (2015) ****½

Michael Krassner, the founder of the musical collective Boxhead Ensemble likes to veil its projects in mystery. There is no available information about this project except that it was recorded in Arizona and the Ensemble ever-rotating line-up feature now Wil Hendricks (the founder of  the defunct The Lofty Pillars, with Krassner), guitarist Adam Busch and violinist Laraine Kaizer.

During its more than twenty years of existence and constant incarnations the Boxhead Ensemble was used by Krassner as a platform for creating original soundtrack for independent and documentary films. This mysterious project keeps the same cinematic vein. 'La hora mágica' is a phrase in Spanish that describes the magical time of the day that captures the few minutes between sunset and full darkness, often used to to describe certain qualities of light by photographers. The 14 concise, meditative pieces sketch vivid, cinematic soundscapes played by processed, effects-laden guitars, minimalist keyboards and atmospheric violin. A perfect soundtrack for film that may document a year-long life cycles in some distant, virgin and icy nature.

Shit & Shine - Chakin’ (2015)

Shit & Shine is drummer Craig Clouse’s outfit (who also plays the wurlitzer electric piano, double bass and electronics) and this group features Astral Spirits’ founder Nate Cross on another electric piano, Ingebrigt Håker Flaten from The Thing, Atomic and Icepick on double bass (on the two pieces), writer and poet Pete Simonelli from the Bay area post-punk band Enablers on the opening piece, and Butthole Surfers’ drummer King Coffey (on six short pieces).  

The psychedelic spoken word opening piece with Simonelli justifies alone the purchasing this release. It has a smoky, film-noir ambiance, colored with a repetitive, funky pulse that encompasses Simonelli tired, indifferent yet charismatic delivery of the story. Simonelli’s distorted and manipulated voice serves later on as a leading instrument in the atmospheric “Jump on the Feeder”. The remaining six short “TJC” pieces are collected from the outfit Tuesday Jazz Chat youtube series, overdubbed for this release. All the “TJC” pieces are rooted in a fusionist-funky rhythmic interplay that stresses the dialogue of the vintage electric pianos.  

SSBT - 247 Main (2015) ***

Austin-based SSBT is the power trio of drummer Chris Cogburn, founder and director of No Idea Festival who adds electronics, guitarist Steve Jansen, who manipulates tapes and plays the saxophone and guitarist Parham Daghighi, who also plays the saxophone and occasionally adds Persian-based vocals.

The trio third cassette release feature two pieces that were recorded live during the trio 2014 tour, in Seattle and Portland. “Pockets” is a free-form, chaotic, noisy and intense free-improvisation in which the trio dense, collective sound blurs the distinctions between the percussion, effects-laden, distorted sounding guitars and weird tapes and electronics textures. “Cook Problems” is a spare, enigmatic piece that emphasizes individual minimalist sonic explorations, slowly accumulating to a strange cinematic narrative that is cut off abruptly.

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Polish Jazz Week: Wrap-up/Round-up

And so we wrap up Polish Jazz Week much like we began, with a round up of recent releases and an invitation to listen to the music we wrote about this week with Martin's "Freejazzblog on Air" on SWR2 this evening. If you are unable to tune in at 11 p.m. wherever SWR2 reaches in and near Germany, you can listen online for the next week.

Polish Jazz – Conclusion and Outlook

by Martin Schray

After reading so many reviews this week you might wonder why the Polish improv scene is so special (compared to other Eastern European countries like Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine or even Russia). During my research for the radio show I contacted Maciej Nowotny from polishjazz.com (among others) and he told me that it has been one of the most crucial aspects of the Polish scene that Polish jazz has always been connected to film, fine arts, literature and philosophy (for example existentialism in the 1950s). This has been handed down from generation to generation which has resulted in the fact that the Polish intelligentsia has been very interested in jazz up to today. He even said that it would be almost impossible to be called intellectual if you are not deeply into that kind of music. So, after the fall of the iron curtain, a new scene emerged which is very interested in new things and which is very well connected with musicians from all over the world. It is mainly due to this new generation that free jazz is relatively successful in Poland, because they try to express what’s important for them and what’s going on around them.

What is also helpful is the fact that there are great labels supporting this scene. They run their businesses out of passion, commercial interests are only secondary to them. Names like NotTwo, ForTune, Kilogram, Multikulti and Bocian are only the tip of the iceberg. And since the musicians do not get rich by selling their CDS and LPs it is vital that there are great venues like Alchemia in Krakow, for example.

Considering all this I guess we will hear a lot from Polish musicians in the future. And we are looking forward to it.

Irek Wojtczak & The Fonda-Stevens Group - Wojtczak NY Connection: Folk Five (ForTune, 2015) ****

Polish jazz is not only restricted to Poland, it actually is an open and attractive field for musicians from all over the world. As mentioned in the introduction to this week, labels like ForTune, NotTwo, Multikulti, Kilogram or Bocian have an excellent reputation and venues like Alchemia in Kraków belong to the best clubs for free jazz in the whole world. A musician like Ken Vandermark, for example, has established a project like Resonance Ensemble, a mix of Polish and Chicago musicians (sometimes augmented by Scandinavian musicians), that has recorded remarkable albums (like Head Above Water). Wojtczak’s NY Connection is a similar collaboration.

Irek Wojtczak is a Polish saxophonist and for Wojtczak NY Connection he is joined by the New York City-based Fonda/Stevens Group consisting of bassist Joe Fonda and pianist Michael Stevens plus trumpeter Herb Robertson and drummer Harvey Sorgen. The result is an exciting and very elegant brew of splendid modern jazz mixed with Polish folk music like on “Cztery Mile Za Warszawa”, for example. It is a piece in which Polish influences clash with a New Orleans funeral march atmosphere as well as with Robertson’s cool jazz trumpet – you might call it Polish blues. In general compositions like “Weselny” should be played late at night (or in the very early morning), they are of exquisite beauty, Kenny Wheeler’s last albums seem to have been an obvious inspiration.

There are also distant polka intersperses in two pieces, “Pod Gazem” and “Kiej Jo Ide W Pole”, the first one a piano solo for Stevens that reminds of  Keith Jarrett’s “My Melody at Night, with you”, the latter a mixture of pre-free-jazz Coleman and Charles Mingus starring Wojtczak on bass clarinet playing an outstanding solo.

Like the above mentioned Vandermark group this connection seems to work marvelously as well, there is some kind of affinity of spirit in Polish and American jazz. And above all the album comes with a great cover as well.

Mazur Neuringer Duo - The Kraków Letters (ForTune, 2014) ****½

Another transatlantic cooperation is this duo recording of American saxophonist Keir Neuringer and Polish avant-garde jazz acoustic bass guitarist Rafal Mazur, a duo that has already released three albums (Improwizje was reviewed by Stef in 2010). I first came across Neuringer when I read Stefan’s review on his solo album Ceremonies Out of the Air and was immediately deeply impressed by Neuringer’s extraordinary command of the instrument.

Communicating with another musician makes Neuringer’s approach even more gripping. The two sound as if Luc Ex and Colin Stetson had joined each other, Mazur playing his bass more like a guitar and Neuringer delving in circular breathing. But there is more to their music, there is an immense intensity, an almost brutal expression and a dedication which is absolutely uncompromised, which can be seen at challenging staccato lines and wild runs (“Letter #3”). Although the sound of the acoustic bass guitar needs getting used to the emotional quality of this music is almost breath-taking.

Listen to it here:

Łukasz Borowicki Trio - People, Cats & Obstacles (ForTune, 2014) ***½

Guitarist Łukasz Borowicki’s trio consists of Polish bassist Mariusz Praśniewski and Danish drummer Kasper Tom Christiansen. Borowicki’s sound meanders between early John McLaughlin and Raoul Björkenheim’s excursions with Scorch Trio, his style can be edgy, boisterous and distorted, then again he is also melodic and accessible - often in the same track as in the opening piece “Happy Summer”. The compositions include notated parts and completely free form and present the band as a tight unit. Most pieces are full of structural and textural changes (as in “Hiss and Rumble” with its allusions to minimal music), the musicianship is extraordinary, bass and drums are supportive and unobtrusive. People, Cats and Obstacles is a fine debut album of a band we should keep an eye on. Maybe this is an album for you, Paul.

Adam Pieronczyk Quartet – A-Trane Nights (ForTune2014) ****

And last but not least an archive recording by Polish heavyweight jazz legend Adam Pierończyk (saxes)  who is accompanied by Australian trombonist/didgeridoo player Adrian Mears, American bassist Anthony Cox and Polish drummer Krzysztof Dziedzic, so we have another international collaboration here. The album is a live recording  from 2008, based on a  studio recording of the same material, which was already released as “El Buscador” in 2010.

A-Trane Nights is classic modern jazz, there are hardly any free elements on this album. However, it’s not mainstream either. Pierończyk has developed a voice of his own between notated melodies and riffs and excellent soloing  work, he leaves a lot of space for his fellow musicians and while Cox mainly tries to support trombone and sax, Dziedzic sometimes interprets his role like an additional soloist. Especially the two tracks with the didgeridoo create a very laid back atmosphere.

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Going Solo

A round up of some intriguing solo recordings that have come to our attention in recent months.

By Paul Acquaro

Vinny Golia - Solo (Gold Lion Arts, 2015) ****

Get it while you can! This treat of a tape release from Gold Lion Arts is a scant run of 75 copies. Featuring the always excellent Vinny Golia on singing bowls and various woodwinds, Solo is 30 intimate minutes of performance. Side A features an intense sax workout, that after reaching the apex, is followed by what sounds like a wood flute or recorder and then the clarinet (Golia has an amazing assortment of wind instruments). Side B is a continuation, where Golia breaks out the bass clarinet (always a joy to hear!). 

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Amy Reed - Gold Lion (Gold Lion Arts, 2015) ***½

Amy Reed is a guitarist and painter from Sacramento, California, home to the Gold Lion Arts performance space where she recorded this evocative solo guitar piece. Like some of her paintings, in which the abstract is met with precise strokes of paint and large open spaces, her extended technique solo guitar work takes advantage of similar motifs. The short tape release sees Reed creating an expectant atmosphere, pulling out all sorts of sounds from her instrument, from long pendulous swings to fine crackling bursts of bristling notes.

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Paulo Chagas - Live Solo (Plus Timbre, 2014) ****

Am I biased on this one? Sure, why not. I had the honor of writing liner notes for Chagas' album Solo Saxophone, which I enjoyed greatly, and so chances were low that I not enjoy this follow up live album. Recorded live in the studio, the tone is dry and the sound clear and the album captures Chagas’ imaginative playing in intimate detail ... and it all starts with a squeak. The intro track sets the mood and clears the palette. The follow up ‘Pentola' begins with a gentle melody as Chagas introduces rhythmic breaks and stops to give the music a certain buoyancy. The melodies unfold with their own internal logic, and though you may wonder where you are by the end of the tune, you have no problem knowing how you got there. Enjoy (it’s a free download).

Keir Neuringer - Ceremonies out of the Air (New Atlantis, 2014) ****

My colleague Stefan already reviewed this one a few months ago, but I wanted to revisit it as I have now had a chance to catch the saxophonist play a couple of times, each time coming away more and more impressed. Ceremonies Out of the Air really crept up on me slowly. The music comes from somewhere deep and personal, as its creation has a lot to do with the emotions surrounding the passing of his mother. While there are moments of mourning, the music rather is a huge, deep, breath that just pours generously out over the course of the double album.

Will Guthrie - Stepped Stoned (Astral Projections, 2014) ***½

Will Guthrie is a France based drummer who works with several different groups like the Ames Room and Ellwood & Guthrie, but who also has been amassing a body of solo work. I wrote about his last album Sticks and Stones and Breaking Bones in 2012 and am happy to be following up with Stepped Stoned. Side one of this tape release takes a while to pick up, about four minutes of nearly silent tape runs, with a small sound growing stronger until a strain of incessant clatter, atmospheric cymbals and ghostly kick drum hits fill the space. About five minutes into side two (a continuation of side one), Guthrie involves more and more of the kit, until hitting a peak and slowly coming down. A captivating listen.

Scott Munro - Monty (Bug Incision, 2014) ***½

Recorded live in Calgary, Scott Munro creates something otherworldly with his baritone guitar. It’s a morphing shape of sound, sculpted from feedback and scratches, drones and percussive hits. Track one is slow, ambient, lugubrious, playing out over fifteen minutes. Track two begins with scattered picking, like a shower of broken glass, and about 5 minutes he begins introducing drone tones and sharp edged tonal clusters. The song fades into white noise … haunting.

Wilhelm Matthies - Breathing (Dark Pebble, Blue Wave, 2014) ***

Something utterly intriguing about Wilhelm Matthies solo album is that he has developed his own instrument - the 'mosesa' - which is a stringed instrument and as you can hear, he uses a bow to pull out tones in range similar to a cello, but that seems to be about where the similarities end. The music is about breathing, it feels organic, and though it does not have a melody or tempo, it draws you in in an unusual way. I think the best thing to do is to experience it:

Erik Friedlander - Illuminations (2015) ****

This solo cello album is utterly gorgeous. Straddling a line between classical and world music, Friedlander digs deep into the instrument and delivers an album of stunningly beautiful melodies and captivating motion. The rich tone he gets from the cello is reason enough to hear the album. I just wanted to give this one a quick mention in this solo round up - Illuminations should be receiving a longer review on the blog soon.

Mirbeau - White Blues (s/r, 2014) ***½

Mirbeau is a guitarist living in Brooklyn. His solo EP recording is a crispy, crunchy, free form blast of guitar that should provides quick satisfaction to the thirsty sonic adventurer. Though he is referencing track names from Miles Davis' cool jazz period (Cookin, Walkin, Steamin, Relaxin), the four short tracks on White Blues are all his own.

Brian Chase: Bass Drum Drone 

A little while back, drummer Brian Chase, who works with the group the Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs shared some solo percussion/drone music and video pieces that he had been working on. About the project, he writes "in the sound from one drum there are a near infinite amount of tones. Drums and Drones explores the space inside the sound of a drum". Enjoy:

From Drums & Drones. Music by Brian Chase, drummer for the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, video by New York video artist Ursula Scherrer.

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Peter Brötzmann Round-Up

By Martin Schray

When you go to a Brötzmann concert in Germany, they are not really crowded in general. The reason mainly is that he has been touring a lot and many people have seen him quite often. Recently when I spoke after a show with young German drummer Oliver Steidle, I asked him how Brötzmann was doing because at close range he looked a bit rough (on the other hand he had just turned 75 in March). He said that he was okay for his age but had problems with his lungs, blowing out was still alright but breathing in was a problem due to smoking a lot when he was younger. I was a bit worried hearing this but then again it was a very good show although he could only play a one-hour-set plus encore. He seems to have become a bit mellow with age, there is more melancholic bluesy stuff than harsh outbursts which fits his style perfectly, though. And if you have a look at his homepage, the spring is packed with tours and single dates all over Europe and Japan. On top of this there is a steady output of new releases, here is a short overview of the latest ones.

Brötzmann/Edwards/Noble – Soulfood Available (Clean Feed, 2014) ****

Soulfood Available is Brötzmann’s second album with this trio. His ties with Edwards go back a long time and Noble seems to be one of his favorite  drummers recently. When I said that Brötzmann’s tone was a bit mellower lately,  this album could prove me wrong, at least partly. Everything that has made his  latest work so great is presented here: his familiar call to arms (as Colin  calls it), the “Master of a Small House” theme (although barely recognizable  since it is alienated and overblown), the shivering notes, his aggressive  approach to his material. He is supported by Edwards’ and Noble’s city jungle  rhythms, which deliver a dark pulse for Brötzmann’s outbursts as well as for  the quieter moments. A rock solid free jazz album, you can’t go wrong with it.

Soulfood Available is available on CD and can be bought from the label: http://www.cleanfeed-records.com/

Peter Brötzmann/Jason Adasiewicz – Mollie‘s in the Mood (BRÖ, 2014) ****

When Brötzmann worked  together with Jason Adasiewicz it was indeed his first collaboration with a  vibraphonist and since then (on Going  All Fancy in 2012) he has played with him several times, even in a  quartet with John Edwards and Steve Noble that also released the splendid Mental  Shake.

Mollie’s in the Mood rather shows the new Brötzmann, more placable, introspective, less angry – but still gripping. A perfect example is the  beginning of the title track, one of the most accessible tracks Brötzmann has  recorded in his career. It is a pure jazz ballad that could almost pass as free  cool jazz. Adasiewicz’s style is brittle and crystal clear again, as if his instrument was made of ice. He contrasts Brötzmann in a strange but perfect way, no matter if the old colossus of Wuppertal decides to play in an Ayler-esque or melancholic way.

The album is available in a limited vinyl pressing of 600 copies. You can buy it from www.instantjazz.com or from the label: www.eremite.com  


Peter Brötzmann/Peeter Uuskyla – Red Cloud on  Silver (Omlott, 2015) ****

Before we start talking about the music on this album, one thing which is hardly mention is the fact that Peter Brötzmann is also a great fine artist. Recently he had an exclusive exhibition of his art in China, I also saw one in Wuppertal once. Like his saxophone/clarinet sound, his visual artistic style is also unique and has a high recognition value. The covers of all the albums reviewed here are designed by Brötzmann himself. So, when you buy a Brötzmann album you get a piece of fine arts as a bonus.

As to the music: Brötzmann  has worked quite often with Swedish drummer Peeter Uuskyla (e.g. on Dead  and Useless) since 1997 and in general the reeds/drums line-up is something he feels very comfortable with. His duos with Han Bennink, Hamid Drake, Paal Nilssen-Love and Steve Noble belong to best releases in free jazz.  Uusklya cannot quite keep up with these drummers because they are able to challenge him. Uuskyla is more the supporting kind of a drummer on this album.

My favorite passage is on side B when Brötzmann plays a particularly tender version of the “Master of  a Small House” theme, one of three or four themes he likes to integrate especially in solo and duo performances, Brötzmann once told me. Uuskyla simply drops out here, then he adds a just a few sparse few sounds, which is just perfect. And then it is him who pulls Brötzmann back to rougher waters. In  general Red Cloud on Silver is a rather  rough, torn and bumpy album.

Red Cloud on Silver is available on double vinyl. It’s an edition of 300 only, so you better be quick.

You can buy it from www.instantjazz.com.

Peter Brötzmann/Keiji Haino/Jim O’Rourke – Two  City Blues 2 (Trost, 2015) **** 

Looking at Brötzmann’s career and at the people he played with you might think that he had played with  almost everybody who has a name in improvised music. In this context it’s interesting that he has chosen two guitars, an instrument he seems to have a  particular interest in lately (have a look at his website www.peterbroetzman.com and you’ll see that he plays with this group in Japan in April and with pedal steel guitarist Heather Leigh in Glasgow). Haino is one of his long time companions, and here you find the Japanese madman on guitar and vocals, although he is rather barking than singing. As usual he is the good old thirsty animal you either love or hate. Jim O’Rourke adds some wonderful Ry Cooder-like slide guitar  riffs which make the whole brew sound like Captain Beefheart. It’s surprising how the three get along together, there are moments of immaculate intimacy. In the huge Brötzmann discography this is an interesting new color.

Two City Blues 2 is available on CD only. You can buy it from www.instantjazz.com. 

Peter Brötzmann/Keiji Haino/Jim O’Rourke – Two  City Blues 1 (Trost, 2015) **** ½

Interestingly enough Two City Blues 1 was released after Two City Blues 2. The recordings were taken from the same tour but part 1 is even a bit more interesting than part 2. Keiji Haino is only on guitar here, there are no vocal eruptions, O’Rourke’s slide guitar is wilder and more ecstatic, it is rather contrasting Haino’s staccato style – including some high pitched frequencies that could make glass burst. Brötzmann seems to wrestle with the guitars, especially when they try to push the performance into calmer, more  melodic waters. Usually he doesn’t allow this, and he tries to undermine their  attempts relentlessly. Only at the very endings of the two tracks, the mood is more conciliable. In the title track Brötzmann leaves this part to the guitars,  in “Eyes Stay the Same” he joins them – vulnerable, crying, desperate.

Two City Blues 1 is available on vinyl only. You can buy both –  vinyl and CD – from  www.instantjazz.com or directly from the  label http://www.trost.at/.

Listen to it here:



Summary:

Six weeks after the show with Olli Steidle I saw Brötzmann playing with Steve Swell (tb) and Paal Nilssen-Love at the Manufaktur in Schorndorf – and it was a fascinating performance. The trio played as if they had been together for  years (albeit it was only their fourth gig). Brötzmann was in perfect shape and after the show we sat together with some people and he was telling stories,  joking, he was witty – and he looked much better than some weeks before.

On our way home my friend Riccarda (who booked Brötz’s tour with Swell and PNL with her partner Ralf) checked her facebook account and somebody asked  her if she had some recommendations as to Brötzmann’s albums. The guy said that  he had seen him twice but he didn’t have any of his recordings. He could start with any of the albums mentioned above (or with one of the classics), he wouldn’t be disappointed.

Peter Brötzmann keeps on touring – and he keeps on releasing excellent stuff. I hope he will be able to continue for a long time.

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