In Germany in particular, a lot of folk culture, especially folk music, has fallen into disrepute, so that the whole thing sometimes has a not inconsiderable bitter taste. And the word "folklore" is used almost pejoratively. For me, folklore has a positive connotation in the sense of something, a fashion, tradition, festivity, discipline, an occasion, food, dance, play, music, religion,... which is able to connect different generations or social and cultural origins. The word folklore actually describes one of the target ideas, where and how the music should end up. It is meant more as a kind of wish, a "blessing wish", for the music of our trio.
Eternal Child, Avishai Cohen's new album, will be released in May and showcases the full depth of his artistry as a bassist and composer. Years later, he reunites with drummer Jeff Ballard on selected tracks, recalling their strong musical connection forged alongside Chick Corea. Recorded at the renowned Studio de Meudon in Paris, Eternal Child stands as a major new chapter in Cohen's work.
Alexander Hawkins is a creative epicentre from the London jazz scene and is regarded in the UK as one of the most innovative musicians of the younger generation with a surprising radius of action. He plays with Evan Parker, Wadada Leo Smith, Taylor Ho Bynum, Louis Moholo, Shabaka Hutchings and Elaine Mitchener. 'Iron into Wind' is the name of his new piano solo. The phrase "Iron into Wind" evokes for him both the transience of improvisation and a fascination with solid material, represented by the powerful blocks of sound to be heard in several of these pieces. Richard Willimas writes in the liner notes: "The mood varies from the two-handed avant-gospel figurations of "Congregational" to the hurtling "Etude" via the austere ruminations of "Tumble Mono", the knotted blues of "Strange Courage" and the explosive accelerations of "It Should Be a Song", with a diversion, in "Pleasant Constellation", by way of variations on an element from Sun Ra's "Fate in a Pleasant Mood". What he achieves here is a fine balance of all his interests, creating a self-portrait of a wonderfully inventive modern musician."
Aruan Ortiz, who grew up in Santiago, Cuba, and has lived in the U. S. since 2002, is among the most creative pianists on jazz's landscape. As a boy he was performing Cuban popular music. His studies broadened to include jazz, first in Europe, and finally New York, where he now lives. In Don Byron, Ortiz has found an unparalleled clarinetist, whose classical training and exquisite technique anchor a career spanning an unusually broad range of music that nevertheless reflects a focused line of musical inquiry. Byron was born in The Bronx, into a musical family of Antiguan descent. Some of his work has involved highly refined repertory ensembles devoted to early jazz, gospel or klezmer music. Other works assert un-fettered new musical routes owing to no single style. "Random Dances and (A)tonalities" reveals the imaginative leaps of two free-thinking minds. In both, we feel an implied swing, gentle yet with conviction, and shared values of erudition and compassion. We sense a clearly documented moment between two masterly musicians.
After releasing five duo CDs on Intakt Records with Silke Eberhard, Lauren Newton, Rudi Mahall, Alexander von Schlippenbach and Louis Sclavis, Aki Takase now presents a breathtaking and entertaining recording with Han Bennink - two personalities familiar with all traditions of jazz who love to go on an expedition. Aki Takase offers such wondrous compositions as the title song 'Two for Two,' an homage to Han Bennink called 'Ohana Han,' 'My Tokyo' or 'Rolled Up.' the duo also reveals it's great playfulness while playing standards by Thelonious Monk and Eric Dolphy. Han Bennink is swinging in best New Orleans tradition while Aki Takase shows more and more of her poetic and melodic side.
It was only during Ken Vandermark's residency at the Jazz club The Stone in January 2016 that Vandermark found himself in the same vicinity as Nate Wooley, Sylvie Courvoisier and Tom Rainey. A year later they went into the studio with nine compositions - three each by Courvoisier, Vandermark and Wooley. These four musicians have well-documented, distinct personalities which, in this context, results in performances full of surprises, rich contrasts and shared responsibilities. The music sounds thoughtful, but never over-wrought. They play by intuition, yet retain a vivid complexity. Their composing is transparent and uncliched; their improvising provided with a remarkable coherence and openness. And perhaps it is exactly this - a fresh collective unity that keeps their respective personalities and idiosyncrasies intact - that brings them success in this bold and collaborative performance. Art needs to pique and renew your interest, take you on inspiring and surprising journeys and sometimes even confront your own biases. Creating, not reviving as a way to evolve and to keep going forward in all directions.
The project 'Hotel Zauberberg' arose out of Aki Takase's and Yumi Paul's shared admiration for the writer Thomas Mann. It mostly consists of notated compositions, with some improvised parts as well. Eleven of the eighteen pieces were penned by Aki Takase, another five are collaborations with Ayumi Paul. Additionally, there are adaptations of a Mozart Minuet and a Bach Partita. Aki Takase reacts to the polyphony of the novel with a variety of stylistic elements. She has never been a purist anyway; she's never been shy of contact. She is an avant-gardist drawing on tradition. She's got both claws and finesse. And, most of all, she's got a sense of humor. Aki Takase and Ayumi Paul's first collaboration stands out through it's light-footed intelligence as well as a sense of the abysses of the 'Magic Mountain', which turns into a world-theatre of love, illness and death. Thomas Mann, whose work includes music as a subject in itself as well as a language, would have enjoyed it.
The concert of the Stefan Aeby Trio at the Intakt Festival at Vortex Jazz Club in London 2017 was a highlight of live music in the capital that year. It made an emphatic statement on how improvisation transcends borders and underlined the strength of a new generation of players. London journalist Kevin Le Genre writes: "Aeby drummer Michi Stulz and double bassist Andre Pousaz make for an inherently contemporary proposition insofar as they are by no means restricted to the standard tropes of the piano trio. This is a group comprising three instruments and three open minds. Hence the performance sees the players organically shift the ensemble towards many stylistic areas, whether it is a suggestion of wistful ambient soundscapes, breezy, percussive African folk, or modern pop that retains the blues to varying degrees. The music is multi-faceted. Throughout the concert there is a palpable sense of breathing space as well as controlled intensity. A quiet fire. The lasting impression of this concert is precisely the cohesion and dynamics of the trio, with it's skillful straddling of natural and digital tones, and it's deft negotiation of sounds past, present and future."
Ulrich Gumpert and Gunter 'Baby' Sommer's second duo-release on Intakt Records spans a wide arch of blues, boogie-woogie, hard bop, arrangements of German folk songs and free jazz. Sommer's drum fills clearly show why he got his nickname from Louis Armstrong's drummer Baby Dodd's; while a piece like 'Preubbische Elegie' demonstrates what a great composer Gumpert is. Oscar Peterson, Red Garland, Hampton Hawes and Roland Hanna are all on the recording.
'Bill Cunliffe is one of the great players of the day.' the BBC Review 'Bill's 'Rare Connection' is a masterpiece. Five stars.' Atlanta Jazz Journal 'Best jazz piano since Oscar Peterson' Wellington NZ Evening Post 'A world class artist with a distinct voice of his own.' Los Angeles Times Grammy and Emmy nominated composer, arranger and jazz pianist Bill Cunliffe is gathering nationwide attention with his innovative and swinging recordings and compositions He first fell under the influence of jazz by studying at Duke University with the great pianist Mary Lou Williams. He received his masters from the Eastman School of Music, and won several Down Beat Awards for his big band and orchestral pieces. After teaching at Central State University, in Wilberforce, Ohio, he toured as pianist and Warranger with the Buddy Rich Big Band, and working with Frank Sinatra. He then played and toured with many legends of jazz, including Ray Brown, Joe Henderson, Freddie Hubbard, Benny Golson, and James Moody. He currently works with his own trio, and sextet, the Clayton Brothers Quintet, trumpeter Terell Stafford, and flutist Holly Hofmann. Bill was the 1989 winner of the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Piano Competition, and has received stipends from the National Endowment for the Arts. His three albums for @R Warner/Discovery Records all charted in nationwide jazz polls. His book 'Jazz Keyboard Toolbox, ' published by Alfred Publications, is fast becoming a standard reference book in jazz, and he is now doing a DVD on beginning jazz piano for Alfred. His big band compositions are published by Kendor Music, and the University of Northern Colorado Jazz Press and his choral music by Santa Barbara Music Press. Bill is a Baldwin Pianos artist, and was Marian McPartland's guest on her famed 'Piano Jazz' radio show in 1998. As a composer and arranger, Bill has been performed by many orchestras, including the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, the Illinois Philharmonic, the Reading (PA) Symphony, and the THenry Mancini Institute Orchestra. Among his works are a three movement 'Romantic' Fantasy for piano and orchestra, a festive overture, 'Viva Mexico,' and numerous works for big band, orchestra, chamber groups, and choir. He has writen extensively for television, and his music was recently heard in the Mirimax feature 'Comic Book-The Movie' and the Susan Sarandon movie, 'The Banger Sisters.' He is currently composer in residence at All Saints Episcopal Church, in Pasadena, California, teaches jazz piano at the University of Southern California, and directs combos at the Henry Mancini Institute. Among Bill's latest projects include 'Live at Bernies' a trio project with Brad Mehldau bassist Darek Oles and former Bill Evans drummer Joe La Barbera, and his well-regarded sextet has just released their second album, 'How My Heart Sings' (The Music of Earl ''Zindars) for Torii Records.
