06 November 2010
Sat 06-11-2010 | 20:00
Haus der Berliner Festspiele
Moss
Theo Bleckmann · vocals
Peter Eldridge · vocals
Kate McGarry · vocals
Lauren Kinhan · vocals
Keith Ganz · guitar
Kermit Driscoll · bass
John Hollenbeck · drums
I had a great expectations about that set. Four voices ally ,which three of them I used to listen to a lot .Plus similarly great rhythm section .I was growing on New York Voices recordings in early 90’ and I know Peter Eldridge’s and Lauren Kinhan’s vocal abillities really well. Theo Bleckmann’s albums recorded for Winter & Winter with Schumann’s and Ives’ songs are around my favourites and there is almost no week without listening to them .Same I can say about Refuge Trio including present drummer here –John Hollenbeck. Kermit Driscoll appeared on as many recordings I have in my collection it could probably take a while to point them all .Let me just mention these realised with John Zorn ,Bill Frisell or The New & Used quintet. He is a living legend and an impact he did to the last decade’s recordings is not possible to pass over. I heard him before many times too ,in different places and with numerous musicians. Nothing strange then I was looking forward to hear something special here. But it sadly did not happen. This performance was one of the worse I have ever being listening to. And it is even hard to say why ? I even though at the beginning maybe I misjudge something for some reason . But not .Substantial number of people leaving stands during the breaks between the songs just proofed me quick I am not in a minority here .There was nothing wrong with the rhythm section. They were playing good as always . But the vocal project seemed to have no spine. There was nothing catching ,nothing what could you involve or make interested in any possible way . Just plain and boring. It was strange .I like all of them . Separate , together or in different projects , but simply not in that one . As I do not want to write anything bad about an artists I deeply respect I’d like to leave it like that with no further comments . Just plain like newspaper news .One quick to forgot .Let’s skip to the next.
Sat 06-11-2010 | 20:00
Haus der Berliner Festspiele
‘Out of the Desert’
hr-Bigband feat. Joachim Kühn Trio
Örjan Fahlström · conductor
Frank Wellert, Martin Auer, Thomas Vogel, Axel Schlosser · trumpet
Günter Bollmann, Peter Feil, Christian Jaksjø · trombone
Manfred Honetschläger · bass trombone
Heinz-Dieter Sauerborn, Oliver Leicht, Tony Lakatos, Julian Argüelles · reeds
Peter Reiter · Fender Rhodes; Martin Scales · guitar; Thomas Heidepriem · bass
Jean Paul Höchstädter · drums
Joachim Kühn · piano; Majid Bekkas · vocals, guembri, oud, kalimba
Ramon Lopez · drums, percussion
Joachim Kuhn’s Out of Desert birthday celebration project is already well known and precisely described on the ACT web or album linear notes . Here on AAJ there is a good description of the project given too:
http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=32963
Second recording of the trio after 2007 Kalimba collected lots of great reviews around the world as a sensitive and innovative achievement in exploring and broadening world music boundaries .As a time gone musicians got used to play together what put the qualities even higher. However if original set is a cameral ,peaceful and hypnotic piece of music I am familiar with , the orchestral work seems to be something completely different.
„Departing from this experience and this fundus of material, Kühn wrote a special programme for the hr-Bigband. The 2009 premiere at Deutsches Jazzfestival Frankfurt was an overwhelming success and Frankfurter Allgemeine magazine even praised the stirring performance a “musical miracle”. ( after BFS PR )
The new score is completely different from original. There is nothing left from hypnotic intimacy , as one could remember from recording. This is innovative and fantastic big band arrangement. Full dynamic ,with vibrant attacks from the brass and virtuoso imaginative response from the grand piano. Between that Ramon Lopez keeps amazingly energetic drive.He blends high tempo hi-hat tour de force rides with sparkling brass tuttis with miraculous skills. This is truly great drummer ,specially when it comes to the improvised parts. There is just very little of it but enough to make him fly. His Spanish backgrounds gave him this special ability to play incredible duos with Majid Bekkas when he is soloing on his guembri (native bass instrument ).They both posses special understanding of Arabic scales and for this reason interactions they builds are special and very complex It was one of the cores in the main recording and it had been kept and exposed in orchestral incarnation too. Majid’s singing and oud solos had completely different weight when appeared as a part of rich orchestration ,but in piano parts and fill up brakes they were bringing the same mysterious nomadic feeling as remembered from recording. He posses lovely timbre of his voice ,which being slightly matt is a nice contrast for a brassy glittering. The moments he sings are strongest intersection between both projects. Kuhn’s play is nothing just a genius work . I always loved his music for this God’s sparkle. The special capabilities to improvise on the border of modern jazz and contemporary piano ,giving a blend which is so very him.
When I looked at the end on the title list I found that these were not just variations of the previous achievement – these were completely differently titled tunes :
1.Night in the Desert
2.Klangzeit , my favourite on this set .
3.Fresh Air
4.Lichtquelle
and the last for encore : Der Wanderer
When the tracks on original session are :
1. Foulani (Majid Bekkas)
2. Transmitting (Joachim Kühn)
3. One, Two, Free (Joachim Kühn)
4. Sandia (Majid Bekkas)
5. Seawalk (Joachim Kühn)
6. Chadiye (Majid Bekkas)
It was such an intense and dynamic performance it was really hard to say if the songs Majid sung have been taken from original set or he used a different ones. I forgot to ask him ,sorry.
But I asked him about his oud plying as he sounds so different from this performers we know good in Europe ,like Brahem or Abu Khalikh .He explained me there is so many styles people play it ,it might vary a lot . He also add that he sounds particularly this way for the need of that session .Privately he prefers a bit warmer and lyric expression .
It just showing how little we know about that .There is still so many to discover for daring challengers ,so we do not have to be afraid about the future . Joachim just did it one more time. And I hope that he will keep going .Yes he does. He already told me this is whole his life and he can not imagine himself to give up. It is a pleasure to see him in such a good form in the age of 66. It was another spectacular performance to keep in memory forever. Simply splendid . It covered these day’s opening and just made it vanished .
After unavoidable selection (same reason – time schedule) I gave up with Magnus Lindgren set in A-train and went straight on to the Quasimodo where a Borderhopping set was already on and Ray Anderson –Han Bennink with their international quintet will be following soon.
For me everything what these both did is always superior achievement.
Han Bennink from the beginning of ICP movement in the end of 60’ to these days is incessantly one of the most creative and leading musicians on European avant-garde scene.
Ray Anderson is a unique trombone player in every possible way and his arsenal of articulation weapon is capacious enough to start the war and win it in the same day.
Sat 06-11-2010 | 22:30
Quasimodo
Borderhopping
Paul van Kemenade · alto sax
Eckard Koltermann · bass clarinet, baritone sax
Stevko Busch · piano, compositions
Benjamin Trawinski · bass
Achim Krämer · drums
Paul van Kemnade’s artistic collaboration with German bass clarinettist Eckard Koltemann and his quartet is an open context .They are all top musicians and their qualities adds easily creating successful stage relationship. They playing vigorous patterns expanded between roughly sketched scores and rising up improvisation ,when reed’s voices changes from consonant duos to individual improvised parts .Kemenade’s play is very involving and I discovered at once listening to him on the stage is completely different experience.. He is same intriguing on the studio recording ,but live – just exposing his imaginative potential in a full scale .Here is where an audience sensitive response pays back at once giving them extra power and speed .His sound is very powerful and strong .He is able to handle any dynamic span without sacrificing melodic aspects in tune .Flying from post bop passages to the crazy scale walking he defines the direction of the set clearly. Unisons with Eckard baritone and bass voices settle very driving and catching up performance .Having a great section on the bottom and a pianist which is capable to follow any musical ideas too ,they truly can do whatever they feel .And they do. Played from the sketches tunes are just growing on your eyes ,blossom and shine to the final note . Great pleasure to listen to them . I hope that this collaboration will last long enough to make some recordings ,as it definitely deserves to be remembered.
Sat 06-11-2010 | 22:30
Quasimodo
Anderson-Bennink-Möbus-Glum-van Kemenade
Paul van Kemenade · alto sax
Ray Anderson · trombone
Frank Möbus · guitar
Ernst Glerum · bass
Han Bennink · drums
Wow , what we had there on the stage was just a dazzling bunch of personalities
All of them without separate describing are straight forward recognisable instrumentalists and there is no fan of contemporary or improvised music around the world who never had them.
There is no such a recording on the last few decades when few of them or even one have not appeared on. The Quintet as such had been created in 2007 by altoist Van Kemenade . Since that they produced a couple of recordings .Their “ Two horns and the bass” from 2009 is already well internationally acclaimed . Since 2008 a group gives concerts and appearing occasionally on festival venues .So here is a rare opportunity to hear them.
As I mentioned above every occasion to hear and see Han Bennink on his own is worth to take a day off and fly over the channel. With such a company around it is guarantied to be TNT performance , and it was . Van Kemenade after the first set was already well warm up.
But this company is fuelled by fire so they blown the whistle before the first tune reached the final. What can I say ? It was mind blowing experience to hear them. It was top notch summit.
All of them together and each on his own contributed absolutely equally to the final achievement ,some of them just more eye catching than the others .But this is just about personality. Van Kemenade gave up here from a leading position giving same room for every single member of the band .It explains clearly why the name of the band is not pointing any one. He amazed me here with his abilities to completely change the way he plays for maximum project support . Just a quarter before he was blowing his head off in bop based parades of patterns and high pitch responses . Now he switched into the lyric and some moments even romantic articulation to match sweet rising sound of Anderson’s horn.
Next moment ran cascades of notes solo or in unison with Ray. He is a very interesting musician and a sensitively listening improviser ,who truly deserves a company he just sharing the stage with. It just showed me how little I know about him and his music.
Anderson’s play was brilliant as always . I simply can not imagine myself him playing any wrong note even. Both with Bennink they had been a highly energetic furious machine . Supported on the bottom by Glerum’s bass they provided highest possible drive . I can not imagine anyone being able to do more with such an ensemble. Specially when you note the fact the only drum Han used on this set was a kettledrum. I do not know anyone who’s able to do the same .I have seen a few times Paul Lovens playing on single drum or very reduced sets ,but it is completely different musical personality. There is only one Han . Han Bennink.
Whatever hi is playing on , single drum ,rich percussion set ,or just bunch of trashes able to emit the sound only – he is doing it in the way no one else might. He is an unique player in every possible way .It is even hard to call him a drummer and it just do not explain whole range of his abilities. He is rather The Total Percussionists with imagination restricted with no borders. His feeling of sound ,understanding rhythm as a complexity of musical issue is beyond anyone imagination. He employed so many patterns and textures into the whole XX century music I sometimes finding myself wordless .The more I know about and listen to into early ICP recordings the more I find and understand ,and I still need to renew all I believed before I already knew. So many things he invented had been already adopted into the current improvisation scene and it is often presented as performers own achievement ,but believe me
or not – give a proper listening to 60’ , 70’ recordings and you will find out it is not . The problem is that these recordings are rare like a polar bears these days and most of us never heard them. Separate disaster is that the early ICP tapes did not survive ,and for this reason can not be easily reissued ,even if there is a great interest in it. The only hope is in the LP copies laying somewhere around the world . Anyway ,lots of great info from the first hand is already there on the Bennink’s web ,including his art. on the ICP and other labels covers .
http://www.hanbennink.com
This is a place every fan of the modern jazz have to go like Muslim to Mecca ,at least once in his life. It is also a mind opening trip which just showing us how vast and multi related are the basements his inspirations are coming from. Only watching his art. helps to understand his play better . But getting back to the set . There was all of that . The way he was rolling his drum ,with changing mood ,tempos ,articulation ,dynamics . Playing with sticks ,hands ,leg- YES – leg ,elbows. Damping patterns he employed to made it even more rich and essential .
It was just unbelievable. If I was watching him doing it on the silent movie I would be same impressed even without hearing the note .As his body only dancing over the drum had enough power to keep you entertained . Now add the rest and you have an answer . If there is any.
To finish quickly I need to write separate about Frank Mobus as an American did a marvellous integrating job to the sounds .His guitar was not only flying around completing complexity of sound . It was also picking up the threads and tie up the knobs ,establishing the foundations for every new idea to come on the top . Knowing that ,you can easy guess how devastated I was ,being actually forced to leave that set 15 minutes before the end to run back to final performance of this day . Pablo Held Trio .But this is reviewers duty and sometimes it is tough when you have to leave one set to do the job right and go to another. Knowing that you already leaving a heavens behind and have no sure what you will find out in return makes it even harder .But what the life would be like with no risk ?
Sat 06-11-2010 | 23:30
Haus der Berliner Festspiele | Side Stage
Pablo Held Trio
Robert Landfermann · bass
Pablo Held · piano
Jonas Burgwinkel · drums
Well, this set deserve really special review .For many reasons .First of all because it was a challenge. Second due to it was new and very individual performance easy deserving to be claim one of the best among whole festival .Three ,what is sensational ,but spotted by many others before – this group and leading it Pablo Held ,they are all in their early twenties.
In the full respect to everything what I heard during this set that was to my ears nothing less but sensation . How a blossom here is in Germany in the last decade .First Wollny ,now Held .
As reviews of the first recording ,Forest of Oblivion had been published on AAJ ,and it include some biographical facts too I just link them below for interested parts to read ,with no sense to write about same facts . I will add his Biography chapter from BJF PR as this is a good and very informative reading ,worth to be shared with everyone interested in it .
http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=33552 by Jerry D'Souza
http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=32944 by Dan McClenaghan
The music presented this night came from Held’s Trio second recording called simply Music. Behind this straight on title however ,laying a massive deposit of musical personality the whole trio put in. Set started with Pablo’s solo introduction . Then the section enjoyed gently . It is worth to be said that it even if every part had been titled separately whole set had been presented in one piece with no brakes . It was such a flow .Natural and smooth with no enforcement – everything came here from the complete silence and just seemed to appear at the exact moment .The phenomenal feeling about that was this you might believe you listening to something you already well know ,but it is not true . It is Trio’s original voice . That unusual ability to blend tradition with their own invention in invisible way seems to be one of their biggest strengths. But behind that there is a great self confidence .There is an amazing maturity too ,which is adorable when it comes to the guys in their twenties. From that point another great quality comes .It is natural that the youngsters always looking for their own way to express .But it hardly happen that they already swallowed and digested such a piece of the jazz history and their search is set up on the solid understanding of tradition and capability to transform it into their very own voice .As far as set was going it just started to be clear for me I am actually dealing here with completely new phenomenon. Pablo Held already chased me through whole history of the jazz pianism .Whenever I tried to find one who he reminds me ,the birds just flew off my hands. I found so many indications of his awareness ,but even not a single quote. He could be percussive like Don Pullen ,to change just in a while , with a single note perfectly articulated ,to hypnotic core structure a la Jarret. But before anyone catch up with it he is already getting back with the voice lyric and poetic like from early Bill Evans . But this is transitory. It disappears a moment after it happened. But there is much more than just jazz in the complexity of his sound .The more you listen to the more coming to you .There is a whole history of music here .From Bach to Messiaen or even earlier as once you get in you finding out a choral medieval structures in ,too. And again its used and reused to blend into the structure of his own voice .He is definitely speaking with his own voice as whole the trio does . The sound is so involving that everyone is coming deeply inside. .It is like a spell put over. Whatever you believe it is ,the dream or the real thing it comes to you as a true . It is very honest and personal massage in this Music. The more you listen to the deeper it catches you. I tried to find out any similarities with present performers just to easier describe how this sound was like . The first to come to my mind was Tord Gustavsen. His power is laying in a silence too. He never forces sound ,it just rises in front of you and then the dynamic is already there . The kind of the less is more philosophy. Sometimes Brad Mehldau can sound similar. But mostly in his solo projects as his section is much more dynamic and independent than Pablo’s one. When it came to the rhythm section here ( Robert Landfermann on the bass and Jonas Burgwinkel on drums ) we find out another magic. These guys together sound so organic and coherent like they had been a part of the same creature , not separate human beings. There is some higher level of understanding each other they possessed .Call it telepathy ,as it is much more that just intuition .Pablo told me that they playing together long ,long time – that’s why . But this is what other trios do and they does not sound like that .What is most wonderful in it is that they are just on the beginning of their way and they already do absolutely great !!! So think what just gonna came from them in the future . I am looking forward to hear it .And here is a crowd of us.
I do not have to tell you on the end that was magnificent performance as I already did it .
But it was also charming and completely hypnotic. No one said a word ,no one even cough. There was a miraculous silent all the time. No one dared to move. He is a wizard and he did with us what he wanted .And we are happy on the end . That’s it.
What a wonderful end of a day it was or a beginning of the next either,as there was 2 AM on the clock .But who cares about that .No one did .
No comments:
Post a Comment