The Thing w/Neneh Cherry: The Cherry Thing

The Thing w/Neneh Cherry
The Cherry Thing (Smalltown Supersound; 2012)
The Cherry Thing Remixes (Smalltown Supersound; 2012)
Neneh Cherry (vocals)
Ingebright Haker-Flaten (bass)
Paal Nilssen-Love (drums)
Mats Gustafsson (sax)

For a group that has already covered Groove Armada, PJ Harvey as well as reconstructing free jazz over the last 15 years in various forms, The Thing teaming up with avant punk, soul wordsmith, Neneh Cherry is really nothing out of the ordinary. Together they have created the poetic, Cherry Thing. And it really demands your attention.

A rustic fusion of love and social consciousness through Cherry's lyrics and The Thing's ability to timely move from gentle to aggressive with superb balance. "Cashback" illustrates this agility with funk and free thinking and harsh lyrical content that knocks you back and keeps you fully engaged. Nilssen-Love, Gustafsson and Haker Flaten cut a crisp and incisive groove that on "Too Tough To Die" (written by Martina Topley Bird). With Cherry at the helm, she and the trio really make the piece their own. Slightly unrecognizable but completely excellent.

The ballad "What Reason Could I Give" beautifully closes the session with shimmering echo treatments on Cherry's vocals with an emotional backdrop of notes by the trio. Lovely stuff.

What better way to follow this superb session than with an equally unexpected but blistering re-interpretation, The Cherry Thing Remixes. Opening the album with the lovely closing number of the original "What Reason Could I Give" is even more haunting with muted and echo chamber piano notes clashing against 80's electro drums. Really turns the piece into a ghostly journey through love and despair.

"Accordion" is fierce with a mixture of pulverizing keyboards and treble effects that later creates a dreamlike atmosphere for a piece that originally hung on Cherry's rhymes. Now, engulfed in anthematic electronics yet still holding its effectiveness. "Golden Heart" is layered with tribal beats and wah wah guitars creating a hypnotic mixture that slowly builds but never overspills. Just as intense as the original but with more of a swirling romanticism.

One of my favourite groups, The Thing continue to do the creative and the challenging with every project. In both The Cherry Thing and The Remixes they have managed to capture the vibe of the avant garde and the dance floor with unbelievable results. These are two richly rewarding projects that should not be missed.

Fire!

Fire! (trio)

Mats Gustafsson (sax, keys)

Johan Berthling (bass, organ)

Andreas Werlin (drums)
(photo: Johan Doden Dahlroth)

Of all the many projects Mats Gustafsson has been involved in, Fire! is probably one of my favourites (outside of his mainstay, The Thing). The Swedish trio put on a mixture of heavy rock overtones, hypnotic psychedelia and free jazz motifs all culminating in unbelievable sound and rhythm. Since their formation in 2009, the group have quickly forge a place in the avant consciousness of this listener and I'm sure many of you. Crossing the various styles previously mentioned--all the while making sound seamless and inviting.

You Liked Me Five Minutes Ago is a great starting point. The performances are intense but the sound low-key and meditative. Berthling plays a big role in "But Sometimes I Am" and "If I Took Your Hand." His playing feels like the heavy heartbeat of dying days. "You Liked Me Five Minutes Ago" is humorous and infectious. Hand claps and two-toned notes from Gustafsson increase and revolve like a haunted carousel ride and quietly fade into the distance.

Unreleased? sees the trio teaming with guitar/sound manipulator, Jim O'Rouke, creating a more muscular yet cerebral sound. Gustafsson and O'Rouke stretch the lines to a breaking point. Berthling and Werlin add depth and a small melody underneath the distortion of the opening piece "Are You Both Still Unreleased?" "Please, I Am Released" and "Happy Ending Borrowing Yours" expands the groups focus with more improvising, yet still coming together solidly at the end to psychedelic effect. Werlin and O'Rouke both lead the charge with blistering lines that come crashing against the screeches of Gustafsson horn. 

A similar tone is taken on the trio third album, In The Mouth - A Hand. This session also filled out by guitarist, Oren Ambarchi. Gustafsson sounding energized and the quartet challenging each other at every turn. Now the trio have been playing together for over 3 years between their own projects. They sound full and ever expanding.

The droning and avalanche of sound on "A Man Who Might Have Been Screaming" and "I Am Sucking For A Bruise" are intense and almost reminds me of mid-period Spiritualized (circa "Cop Shoot Cop") and Can. "He Wants To Sleep In A Dream" sees Ambarchi and Gustafsson repeating one tone for a majority of the piece until the entire group finally gather for a cacophony of sound that is intense but somehow funky in same aspect.

With Fire!, Mats Gustafsson has an outlet for themes that may not work with his other groups. And with his bandmates experience in other more rock-centric outfits makes for challenging and creative sessions. Fire! isn't for everyone but I think you need to really sit and hear it all the way through before you get the full breath of ideas. Great stuff.

McPhee & Haker-Flaten: Brooklyn DNA

Joe McPhee (sax, trumpet)

Ingebrigt Haker-Flaten (bass)

Brooklyn DNA (Clean Feed; 2012)

Revolving around the organic energy of Brooklyn (a borough of New York City), Joe McPhee and Ingebrigt Haker-Flaten create a work that is inspired by their surroundings as well as their jazz forefathers. Brooklyn DNA is one of those shining beacons that helps others see the vibrancy and diversity of New York free form scene.

"Crossing The Bridge" and "Spirit Cry" quietly bring the listener into the spacious and inventive quarters of these renown musicians. A playful march with beautiful intersecting lines by McPhee that connect the two opening pieces with crisp fluidity. Haker-Flaten's bass lines, while improvised, are subtle but matches McPhee chords with every step.

The ballad "Blue Coronet," dedicated to the famous jazz club of the '60s, is a late night walk on the streets, feeling the vibe of the neighborhood and how it influences your sound and vision. "Here And Now" is the perfect conclusion to this journey. A number that embodies the jazz scene today while still reflective of the traditions it's built on. Calm improvisational chords by both musicians bold lines and immediacy as the piece reaches its latter stages.

Brooklyn DNA is not just a travelogue through the boroughs great jazz history, its a document of the quiet brilliance of two intercontinental musicians. Highly Recommended.

Sonore: Live At Cafe Oto

Sonore (trio)

Live at Cafe Oto (Trost; 2012)

Peter Brotzmann (tenor, alto sax, clarinet, taragato)
Ken Vandermark (tenor sax, clarinet)
Mats Gustafsson (baritone sax)

When this trio gets together you can always expect high decibels and sonic architecture. Live at Cafe Oto is probably the shorter but most palatable of the four albums this trio has recorded. There's still a lot to digest over the span of four songs  in just under 40 minutes.

Each musician attacks the notes with aggression but also a sense of beauty, as they softly create and destroy patterns. "Fragments For An Endgame" comes swirling down upon you like hail drops through a funnel. The tones are sharp and crisp with spikes that build and build. They hit there peak quickly before descending further into a overpowering arpeggio.  The trio is all the while improvising each note. But these three have played together so often they know each other movements and changes down to a tie.

"Le Chien Perdu" see Brotzmann rip through the scales at will. The piece has a perfect balance between Brotzmann's howls and improvised segues accompanied by subtle tones of Vandermark and Gustafsson around the edges. "Oto" is just sheer fire in the well. The trio let loose a wall of sound but shift effortless back and forth between blistering chords changes and gentle swathes of harmonics. Only to end with a resounding joyful call to arms, New Orleans style.

Live At Cafe Oto is powerful stuff and by far the best Sonore record to date. Highly Recommend.

The Thing: Mono

The Thing (group)

Mono (SmallTown Jazz; 2011)

Mats Gustafsson (sax)

Ingebrigt Haker-Flaten (bass)

Paal Nilssen-Love (drums)

Gustafsson, Haker-Flaten and Nilssen-Love return in the best way possible--in mono. Mono is the trio's 9th (or 12th if you consider their three disc boxed set, Now And Forever)  album, and it delivers with interesting and exciting results. Mono is raw as ever and captures the grit of their musicianship more so than recent recordings. If that was possible. 

The funky thumping of Haker-Flaten and Gustafsson's cattle call on the opener, "Viking" signifies a pulsating and exciting experience in store for you the listener at home. It's a blistering piece that only settles at the very end. "Bruremarsj" is calm and reflective. A ballad if I could use the term loosely. Soft movements and some breathy intonations from Gustafsson, circular rotations from Nilssen-Love and almost lower registered touches on the strings from Haker-Flaten make this a deeply personal and resonate experience. 

"Silver Slipper" while the shortest piece on the album provides all the aggression The Thing have come to represent--white noise, bliss and adventure. "There is Shitloads of Red Meat Missing" see the group experimenting with sound and texture. Gustafsson horn ripples along like slow water torture. Flaten and Love provide a haunting backdrop of vibrations that help close out the session. 

There's definitely shades of Ornette in the The Thing DNA but they continue to make themselves stand as one of the best European trio on the scene today. Mono is just another supreme work in a cannon that doesn't seem to stop astounding. Excellent stuff.

The Ames Room: Bird Dies

The Ames Room (group)

Bird Dies (Clean Feed; 2011)

Jean-Luc Guionnet (sax)

Clayton Thomas (bass)

Will Guthrie (drums)

Power trios come with various sounds and sizes. The Ames Room may be small but their sound is bold and forceful. This French/Australian trio lays into you like the first time you got beat up as a kid. It's sheer brute force and once you finally give in there is this little blissful nature that sets in. The feeling that this might be all there is left for you. But The Ames Room help you realize there's more inside the noise than you realize.

The Ames Room have only been on the scene for a short time (since 2007) but have crafted a sound that is blistering and beautiful. Fans of Vandermark, Gustafsson, Haker Flaten and Nilssen-Love are sure to gravitate to the trio's new album, Bird Dies (Clean Feed). This one piece live recording follows up where their debut, IN (Monotype Records; 2010), left off--a full frontal attack of chords against the borders of a genre.

There's no build up here. The Ames Room make their statement known from the first note. They come out of the gates ripping forward like Gustafsson's The Thing in mid-performance. The staccato drums, breakneck sax and suffocating basslines that dominate the first 15 minutes of the piece are impressive for the duration as well as the stellar delivery.


The gears shift only slightly around the 23min mark. Guionnet's takes the lead but is challenged perfectly by Guthrie's cascading patterns. Meanwhile Thomas paints a small rhythm in the background. There are moments just after the half hour mark that remind of Ornette Coleman's Change Of The Century. A calm descends on the closing ten minutes only to be resurrected to the opening salvo of white noise which cuts deep then comes full-stop.

The audience at this performance was probably left in awe. You can only briefly feel it from low volume mic on the audience. But make no mistake The Ames Trio is building a following and will leave an indelible mark on your senses. Bird Dies is challenging music but isn't that what music is all about?

Enjoy...

Resonance Ensemble: Kafka In Flight

Resonance Ensemble (group)

Kafka In Flight (Not Two Records, 2011)

Ken Vandermark (sax, clarinet)
Mikolaj Trzaska (sax, clarinet)
Mark Tokar (bass)
Michael Zerang (drums)
Tim Daisy (drums)
Steve Swell (trombone)
Per -Ake Holmander (tuba)
Dave Rempis (sax)
Magnus Broo (trumpet)
Waclaw Zimpel (clarinet)

This is an album I have been waiting for since I read about it on Ken Vandermark's twitter feed a few months ago. The Resonance Ensemble is the brainchild of the great Chicago saxophonist, Ken Vandermark. In the similar vein to Peter Brotzmann's Tentet (which Vandermark is also a member), Resonance embarks on large scale compositions. But where PBT tend to move into the upper stratosphere in theory--Vandermark is keeping things within a linear pattern as far as the tone is concerned. There is a great deal of improvisation happening but its within the melody and rhythm of the writing.

Resonance Ensemble was first developed out of a series of concerts and studio sessions that were later recorded in 2008 (Live In Lviv) and then for the 10CD box (Resonance Box). What's remarkable is that as Vandermark states in the notes to this album, because of the size of the band and the various groups they lead and projects they participate in, its difficult to get any rehearsal time before live shows or recording. I don't think any of us would notice or care. Why you ask? Because the results are something truly unbelievable.

For the group's third album Kafka In Flight, recorded live in Poland, Vandermark guides the group with three lengthy pieces of jubilant free form that would make you feel as if Ellington, Coltrane, Cherry, Coleman, Blakey, Chambers (and take the your pick of the rest) had gotten together in your backyard. Kafka In Flight is smokin'. Unlike even Vandermark's main group (The Vandermark 5), Resonance Ensemble seem to enjoy mixing the past in a large bowl and coming up with interesting and riviting concoctions. The opener, "The Pier" is fast moving and allows for moments in which each member can contribute and expound on Vandermark's material. It's a real treasure of ideas that surface. The always incredible Tim Daisy delivers an excellent improvised mid-section, accompanied by a good portion of the horn section and Vandermark on clarinet, explore and exchange some intense possibilities but it works unbelievably well.

"Rope" is a bit more cinematic, led by some great performances from Per-Ake Holmlander on tuba (a rare instrument in modern free jazz) and Magnus Broo (trumpet). "Rope" moves from funky to experimental to comforting (so-to-speak) and gives the listener a lot to absorb. Michael Zerang and Tim Daisy are superb as they duel it out with sharp intersecting chant from each of the wind players. "Coal Marker" rounds out this hour long journey in style. It's the ensemble releasing all it's force into your speaker (and you better be able to deal with it). There are spontaneous moments that sees the group in unison but also exchanging circular rhythmic patterns. This is a group that somehow, despite little time together, knows exactly what the other is going to do and each is up for the challenge.

Kafka In Flight is an album and performance that is built around the ability of Ken Vandermark to write excellent material that is interchangeable for each member. You can picture most of these notes performed by different members and each coming up with a different result. But the result would still be amazing. Kafka In Flight is yet another step in the already legendary career of Ken Vandermark. While the first two albums are both hard to find and in the case of the boxed set--expensive--you should definitely seek out Kafka In Flight. It is well worth every avant garde fan's dollars. One of our Top Albums Of The 2011.

A Rare Thing

The Thing with Otomo Yoshihide
Shinjuku Crawl (Smalltown Superjazz, 2009)

Mats Gustafsson (sax; electronics)
Ingebrigt Haker Falten (bass)
Paal Nilssen-Love(drums)
Otomo Yoshihide (guitars)

Shinjuku Crawl must be some sort of secret document. For me at least. It's been extremely difficult to find. I finally gave in and downloaded it from iTunes. Not what I wanted to do with one of my favourite bands. This is always been a band that I want to hear on the physical disc or vinyl. But for some reason the physical version of Shinjuku Crawl is now unavailable and the only way to get it is on digital. I guess for now that's fine. Because either way my JazzWrap friends, this is a fantastic record.

Shinjuku Crawl is built on two beautiful suites, "Shinjuku Crawl I-III" and "Dori Dugout Parts I&II" along with the short but enchanting "Uramando". This is first time The Thing have sat with avant garde guitarist, Otomo Yoshihide all as on group. This session was originally recorded in 2007 which makes the wait for its actually release even more painful. They have worked together separately in various groups, most notably in Yoshihide's New Jazz Orchestra but Shinjuku Crawl is a whole different affair.

For me it feels like a combination of recent Gustafsson projects with Sonore and Fire! wielded together. There are moments quiet minimalism as "Shinjuku Crawl (First Attempt)" makes its slow build through with just gentle/slightly audible taps on the drums and phasing in and out of Otomo and Gustafsson instruments. I almost wanted to Genesis P. Oridgide to step up and start singing Persuasion (a classic Throbbing Gristle number). As we began to make into climax of the piece, the explosion of sound begins. Otomo seems the perfect accompaniment to The Things wall of sound. The group are taking you a deliberately long journey.

Then "Shinjuku Crawl (Second Attempt)" travels through the wonderful tribal elements of Nilssen-Love drumkit and dynamic work delivered by Falten and Gustafssson. Yoshihide is almost understated except for his lovely feedback drone that packs a solid punch to the listener on first impulse but eventually delivers you to a soft landing.

While the entire suite follows the standard tempo conventions of slow, moderately slow and very fast, The Thing and Otomo have slightly warped this thinking by utilizing within each suite. So what we are hearing is in the traditional sense--Adagio, Allegro Moderato/Prestissimo, Moderato/Prestissimo. Okay cutting to the chase its a journey through slow, fast, midtempo/frenetic, midtempo and fierce. In short, pure beauty. And that's really how you can wrap "Shinjuku Crawl (Third Attempt)" with blistering variations you will most certainly been amazed by the pace and movement. Great stuff.


The calm of "Uramando" explores the atmospheric side of Yoshihide playing as it is paired with a more reserved backing from The Thing. Not so much an interlude as moment of reflected and watching where we go next.

And next is our denouement, "Dori Dugout" which the quartet drills further into the center of our cerebral cortex with some magnificent playing by Nilssen-Love and enigmatic dexterity from Gustafsson. This is brilliant piece which each member is performing and bombastic pace but the recording levels must be set up differently because eventually Gustafsson takes over the piece with the rest of group blistering away underneath. This is sound that you achieve only with a select group of musicians and The Thing are one of those select groups. Otomo Yoshihide matches this perfection with delicate beauty.

Shinjuku Crawl is now either out of print or unavailable in CD/Vinyl form but I highly advise my free jazz friends to download this (legally) from iTunes or Amazon. It is buried treasure that hopefully we'll see back in circulation sooner rather later. Highly Recommended.

Rodrigo Amado

Rodrigo Amado (sax; b. 1964)

Searching For Adam (Not Two Records; 2010)

The multi-talented Rodrigo Amado was responsible for one of my favourite jazz labels, Clean Feed (co-founding member) and now running his own label European Echoes.

But he is also an accomplished photographer and highly creative and challenging spirit in the free jazz arena. His style is clear, vibrant, adventurous and soaring. For me shades of Pharoah Sanders, Sam Rivers and Ornette Coleman surround his music.

But while this improvising spirit stretches across the spectrum, the listener actually gets the unique experience of song structure that may not have been a predetermined result. Amado is working in a similar arena that can only be possessed by fellow improvisers Ken Vandermark (Vandermark 5) and Mats Gustafsson (The Thing).

Amado has six album as leader, working in trio and quartet formats but also in standard setting as well as string based outfits. In addition to collective work with his band, Lisbon Improvisation Players and guest works with the likes of Luis Lopes and Dennis Gonzalez.

Two records that I highly recommend are a trio session he recently did with Paal Nilsson Love (drums) and Kent Kessler (bass), The Abstract Truth (European Echoes; 2009) and Teatro (European Echoes; 2006). Both are provide an excellent balance between avant garde and modern structure. The interplay between three is highly rewarding for the listener.

Amado's most recent release, Searching For Adam (Not Two Records; 2010) is phenomenal. Featuring the stellar lineup of Taylor Ho Bynum (cornet/flugelhorn), Gerald Cleaver (drums) and John Hebert (bass), Amado has created the perfect work built out of improvised vision and dynamic European moods, creating a beautiful causal structure.

Searching For Adam is an album that moves through abstract aggression and delicate time changes that appear at the precisely the right moments throughout this session.

While being the longest piece on the album, "Waiting For Andy" is also the most touching and exploratory. The interplay between Bynum and Amado is lovely to experience. Moving up and down the scale with fierce attraction. "Newman's Informer" features some impressive time keeping from Cleaver (someone who I believe is criminally under-rated) and Amado has moments of Shepp and Ware spinning throughout.

On "Renee, Lost In Music", John Hebert begins with delicately stroking the chords for Amado to then join in on a light but richly free flowing piece that exploits the best phrases from Amado. "4th Avenue, Adam's Block" has swathes of Atlantic era Coltrane. A real bold well structured piece that again shines light on the brilliant musicianship of Rodrigo Amado.

Similar to my obsession with Mary Halvorson after I picked up Dragon's Head, I became obsessed with Rodrigo Amado's work. In the last few weeks I have managed to buy (yes, I did buy them) all of his work as leader. I'm hoping to find a chance to tell everyone about them soon.

As for today, I think if you are familiar with Ken Vandermark, Keefe Jackson, Mats Gustafsson, I highly recommend you check Searching For Adam. An album that is truly deserving of a wider listen from us all.

Scorch Trio

Scroch Trio (group; formed 1998)
Melaza (Rune Grammofon; 2010)

Raoul Björkenheim (guitar)
Ingebrigt Håker Flaten (bass)
Frank Rosaly (drums)

Helsinki based, Scorch Trio have been active for over a decade now. All three members are successful musicians with various other bands and solo projects (most notably The Thing and Atomic). But Scorch Trio is no "jazz supergroup". This is a unit that functions flair and an intent on pulling at the boundaries of jazz.

Originally the group started with Paal Nilssen-Love on drums. He has recently left the band to continue his other projects. The even more versatile Chicago native, Frank Rosaly (who has preformed with Ken Vandermark, Jeb Bishop, Josh Berman and Keefe Jackson among others) settles into the kit chair for now. And the result are quite interesting for me especially.

I have to admit, I own all four Scorch Trio albums, but I haven't been totally convinced--that is--until today. I'm definitely not saying the previous records lacked anything. I think I wasn't hearing what I was supposed to hear (if that makes sense). With the their new album Melaza (Rune Grammofon), this trio has created a document with solid compositional structure that moves like a great rock/jazz album. Like Bill Laswell's Last Exit fused with Tony William's Lifetime and Mahavishnu, Melaza has really blown me away.

The title track "Melaza" really spells things out. It's a pounding bit of fusion that has all the elements you would want--swirling McLaughlin-esque guitar, deep wrenching bass lines and pulsating timing on drums. This is three minutes of bliss jazz rock bliss. "Fajao" is another stunner that truly how well Rosaly has integrated into the band. The interchanges between Rosaly and Björkenheim here are absolutely fantastic. "Raitru" displays the more improvisational and intimate side of the trio. Midtempo patterns with some nice individual colour expressed by the band members.

Melaza isn't going to be for everyone, but if you are fan of the above mentioned influences and especially if you are a fan of some of free jazz and eclectic releases from the venerable Rune Grammofon label, Scorch Trio is well worth investigating. This is bright, fun, electrifying stuff that's will turn your ear (possibly upside down).

Now I have to go back and sit with the previous three records and see where my ears went wrong. Talk to you all later. Enjoy...

This video is of the original lineup with Nilssen-Love on drums.

Atomic: Theater Tilters

Atomic (group; formed 2000)
Theater Tilters (Jazzland; 2010)

Fredrik Ljungkvist (sax; clarinet)
Magnus Broo (trumpet)
Havard Wiik (piano)
Ingebrigt Haker Flaten (bass)
Paal Nilssen-Love (drums)

Atomic along with The Vandermark 5 are probably the two most important free jazz groups around today. The similarities are obvious. Each has a unique sound world that embraces both structure and freedom. But in the case of Atomic, the Swedish/Norwegian quintet utilizes a little more subtle melody, thanks to the inclusion of Havard Wiik on piano.

Theater Tilters is the groups second live album (a two disc set) and as with the first live (included in the three disc set Retrograde from 2008), Atomic prove they are growing increasingly innovative and versatile. The album was recorded over two night in October of last year.

Theater Tilters opens on a lovely violent and discordant note of "Green Mill Tilter" (possibly named after the famous Chicago jazz club) and never lets up. "Green Mill Titler" slides into a groove led by Wiik and Haker-Flaten and some battling between horns and drums. And then all-stop. We are then treated to probably the most melody friendly track of the proceedings "Andersonville" which sees Fredrik Ljungkvist leading the way on clarinet. This is a wonder piece with nice balance of free jazz and almost classical themes. It's a tasty piece of work and also the longest track over both discs. "Bop About" (originally featured on the bands third album The Bikini Tapes) closes the first disc sheer tour de force for all the members and definitely in the Ornette Coleman, Archie Shepp realm of frenzied rhythms and patterns. A perfect way to end the side one.

One of my favourite Atomic tracks that I could listen to everyday opens disc two, "Roma" (which also opens the band forth album Happy New Years) is blistering six minute piece that shows each member adding fuel to an already rampant fire of an evening. Wiik's forceful movement on piano are countered by Nilssen-Loves pulsating cacophony on drums. Broo and Ljungkvist add some scintilating treatments to make these a white noise affair but one that you will fall in love with quickly. Things between to calm down a bit with "Snguine" and "Edit" as Broo takes a more of the lead with some beautiful coloring reminiscent of Enirco Rava. These two tracks bristle with freedom and romanticism all the while holding a creative European edge.

Theater Tilters finally closes with the perfect example of the bands freedom and individuality "Two Boxes". "Two Boxes" features some fantastic interplay that really does go "out there" and back. Killer stuff from Ljungkvist, Haker-Flaten and Wiik with the rest of band closing in like climax of a horror movie.

Now as with The Vandermark 5, The Thing and Supersilent, Atomic are not for the faint at heart. This is an attack on the senses but the melody is there once you let the sounds envelope you. Theater Tilters is just another in the amazing cannon of one Europe's finest jazz groups. This is not my first choice for the Atomic uninitiated but if you want adventure in your music--Atomic is a great band to start with. Enjoy...

Sonore: A Journey Into Sound

Sonore (group; formed 2003)

Peter Brotzmann (tenor/baritone sax)
Ken Vandermark (tenor/baritone sax, clarinet)
Mats Gustafsson (alto/bass/tenor sax, clarinet)

On the scene for over 40 years, German born, Peter Brotzmann has led groups of varying sizes. But the one constant is the sheer devotion to exploring the outer reaches of jazz. He is an aggressive player and for some (even the die hard avant garde fan) it may be hard to find the structural element in the piece. This is usually the time in which you should just sit back and enjoy the musicianship and the structure will find you.

Brotzmann is responsible for some of the most important European free jazz albums in history (Machine Gun (1966), Nipples (1969), Die Like A Dog (1993) and Octet/Tentet (1997)). While those are massive statement records of Brotzmann's intent and talent, there is one more recent group that he leads with musicians that he has influenced that appeals to me even more---Sonore.

Led by the European free jazz godfather, Sonore is an adventurous, dangerous yet wonderful collaboration from three of the most renowned saxophonists on the avant garde scene. Each with their own groups which they lead to equal success (The Vandermark 5, Gustafsson with The Thing and Brotzmann with his Tentet and Die Like A Dog among others). Slightly similar to Brotzmann's work with Bill Laswell in Last Exit but completely without a rhythm section--on the agrression of saxophones to lead the emotion and structure.

It is staggering and joyful to hear and witness live the power and influence Peter Brotzmann has had on his two disciples in Vandermark and Gustafsson. The interplay and respect each musician has for one another makes their three albums (Call Before You Dig; Only The Devil Has No Dreams, and No One Ever Works Alone)highly enjoyable. There isn't really one album that is better than the other. I would say the newest album Call Before You Dig (Okka Disk) which is a live and studio double album is good way to get the two sides of the band an idea of the strength of this amazing improvising outfit.

Trust me, this is not music for the faint at heart. This is improvising at its best. Two generations of musicians who are the best at their craft meeting for a brief and fruitful conversation through sound. Highly Recommended for those not afraid of sound.

Guitar Week: Trio Schmetterling

This week JazzWrap will take a look at guitarists and guitar driven groups that have or will be making a difference in jazz.

Trio Schmetterling (group; fromed 2007)
Keisuke Matsuno (guitar/electronics)
Alexander Binder (bass)
Jan Roth (drums)

As discussed recently, the rise of trios on the jazz scene is quite simply--mindnumbing. It's is sometimes difficult to sift through all the good ideas being produced to find the originality. Well, I have to say in the case of the following trio there is something different for you grab hold of. Trio Schmetterling is a guitar based trio that utilizes both the sonic aspects of Glenn Branca, Sonic Youth and the best elements of recent Nordic jazz improvisers like Nils Petter Molvaer, The Thing, Supersilent, et al. Not clearly defined (which is something we at JazzWrap like allot).

The self titled debut, Trio Schmetterling (Analogsoul Records), opens with "Solaris", a dreamy and rhythmic piece that reminds me of Slowdive or My Bloody Valentine (circa Loveless). The albums is filled with mid tempo motifs that abstract yet enveloping. If anyone remembers the late 80s/90s instrumental band Pell Mell this is slightly (only slightly) similar. Further tracks like "Insel" and "Abschiedslied" contain some great drum work from Jan Roth and some nice bluesy interplay between Matsuno and Binder making for some highly enjoyable variations.


Trio Schmetterling never really take flight as you would expect from a guitar based trio. But I don't think that is their intention. This is an album of dark dense space with strong melodies pushing the listener forward. "Kinderlied" does finally take the band into some atmospheric territory taking a gentle tone in its beginning before venturing into a lovely harmonic chaos of arpeggios to close things out. Trio Schmetterling may not be a jazz band for some of you but they surely aren't a rock band for me. This is the work of a young band in progress but the progress is quite impressive.