|: Avantgarde Contemporary Jazz

The Choir Invisible
«Town Of Two Faces»
Intakt Record Release
FEAT: CHARLOTTE GREVE-CHRIS TORDINI-VINNIE SPERRAZZA

Englisch
Comprised of saxophonist Charlotte Greve (Lisbeth Quartet, Wood River), bassist Chris Tordini (Tyshawn Sorey, Chris Speed), and Vinnie Sperrazza (EMBER, Michael Formanek), the Choir Invisible takes their name from a hymn-like Sperrazza composition. Founded in Brooklyn in 2018, the group’s combination of haunting melodies, visceral improvisations, and earthy grooves brought them to Intakt Records, who are releasing their second album, Town Of Two Faces, on February 16th. The group will be on tour in the US and Europe in 2024.

„Infused with an inventive and organic zest a sonic odyssey which continues to chart the trio’s distinct musical dialect. Town Of Two Faces stands as a testament to jazz’s enduring dynamism and adaptability, blending complexity with a welcoming openness.“
Glenn Astarita, All About Jazz

„Infusing nuanced rhythmic detail, to-the-point melodies, and a seamless fusion of jazz and rock elements, the trio strikes a harmonic balance and stylistic coherence in their quietly moving sophomore release, Town of Two Faces.
The Choir Invisible achieves an elegant, soulful fluency that invites listeners to unravel some ambiguity but also discern consummate ideas that develop with exquisite taste toward many possibilities. It’s a strong come back from this well-oiled trio.“
Felipe Freitas, JazzTrail.net

Deutsch
Das kollektive Trio, „The Choir Invisible“, bestehend aus drei bedeutenden Persönlichkeiten der kreativen Musikszene Brooklyns – Charlotte Greve (Lisbeth Quartett, Wood River), Chris Tordini (Tyshawn Sorey, Chris Speed), and Vinnie Sperrazza (EMBER, Michael Formanek), – veröffentlicht sein lang erwartetes zweites Album auf Intakt Records. Auf „Town of Two Faces“ entwickeln sie ihre einzigartige Sprache ohne Harmonieinstrument weiter zu einem lebhaften Dialog. Mit allen drei Bandmitgliedern, die Kompositionen beisteuern, ist der emotionale und strukturelle Inhalt ihrer Musik breit gefächert, gleichzeitig bleiben Improvisation und Melodie stets verwurzelt in einem tiefen Groove. Eine working Band seit 2018 und ein Trio auf höchstem Niveau!

Charlotte Greve – Saxophone
Chris Tordini – Bass
Vinnie Sperrazza – Drums
Foto©Desmond White

INSIDE COLOURS TRIO
„INSIDE COLOURS“ – JAZZWERKSTATT ALBUM RELEASE CONCERT

‚Inside Colours‚ – consisting of pianist Julie Sassoon and saxophonist/bass clarinetist Lothar Ohlmeier, brings together two extraordinary talents whose finesse, musical brilliance and intuitive communication creates a musical universe whose beauty is deeply moving and utterly captivating. Their last album received rave reviews among international critics:

“An unclassifiable venture, Julie consistently makes the piano, her voice and her deepest emotions sound awesomely and naturally inseparable.”
Guardian – John Fordham

“Ohlmeier is an unusually eclectic performer, who seems to push and drive this music forward whenever he’s at the plate.”
All about Jazz – Duncan Heining

Since the success of their concerts at the Bayerisches Jazz Festival described as the ‘Highlight of the Festival’, ‘Inside Colours‘ Duo has been recorded live and featured many times on (ARD German National Radio). In their concert at the prestigious Berlin Philharmonie Kammermusiksaal in April 2023 they were joined by very special guest – the young talented Mia Ohlmeier – their daughter – on drums, to form the ‘Inside Colours’ Trio. These recordings will be released on a new double album on the Jazzwerkstatt label and presented tonight at the A-Trane.

Julie Sassoon – Piano/Composition
Lothar Ohlmeier – Tenor Saxophone/Bass Clarinet
Mia Ohlmeier – Drums
Fotos© Cristina Marx/Thomas Schreyegg

Schultze-Ehwald-Rainey

„Diese Musik tut, als verlange sie nichts. Sorgsam Ausgedachtes, so leicht und unpenetrant anzubringen, das ist kein geringes Kunststück. Ein großes Trio“
Adam Olschewski / Jazzpodium

Dieses Trio musiziert seit nunmehr neun Jahren regelmässig über Kontinente und Ozeane hinweg. Hier finden drei starke Solisten zueinander, deren individuelles spielerisches Können sich dem Mit- und Umeinander verschreibt. In der Perfektionierung des sich gegenseitig Raumlassens werden die Zuhörenden Zeugen einer entstehenden musikalischen Gemeinsamkeit wie Beobachter eines entstehenden Gemäldes. Entscheidend sind die Schattierungen und Feinheiten, mit denen die Musiker in einen Rhythmus eintauchen, der manchmal energiegeladenes gemeinsames Suchen, manchmal kontrapunktisches Pulsieren ist und sich dann in einem gegenseitigen Umrahmen auflöst. Der Berliner Saxophonist Peter Ehwald und sein pianistischer Partner Stefan Schultze aus Bern gestalten offene Dialoge, die sich als Suchprozess offenbaren. Aus diesem Ansatz heraus nehmen die beiden den herausragenden New Yorker Schlagzeuger und Improvisator Tom Rainey in ihre Mitte. Und in dieser Konstellation erweist dieser sich als kraftvoller Impulsgeber, denn gerade die ineinander verschlungenen, asymmetrischen rhythmischen Muster bereichern die intuitive Symbiose von Ehwald/Schultze ungemein.
English:
German twosome pianist Stefan Schultze and tenor saxophonist Peter Ehwald enjoy an extended partnership stretching back to college days, so when they pair up a simpatico outing is guaranteed. By recruiting Rainey to complete the trio on Behind Her Eyes they have ensured that the ambience doesn’t become too relaxed. Of the 11 cuts, 6 emanate from the pen of Schultze, 3 from Ehwald while the remaining pair are group improvisations. Their tunes avoid the obvious and at their best take unexpected turns like the mix of stop-start motion and choppy open interludes in “Capucine” and isolated keystrokes and wavering tenor saxophone whistle in the simultaneously wistful and nervy “Core”. Schultze and Ehwald both relish exploring the melodic contours of the pieces, which are often reflective, even dreamy, while Rainey’s cymbal color play remains the epitome of sensitivity. Even in the improvisations they maintain consonance, although tappy drums instill some tension into the lyrical musings of the spontaneous title number while the dampened keys and false-fingered reed squawks in “Whereabouts” prove a welcome contrast. “Tong-Gu” provides the most compelling offering, being more of a departure from the meditative default and one which most effectively utilizes Rainey’s attributes with its shifting meter, variously staccato canter, funky Latin and locomotive propulsion.

Peter Ehwald – Saxophone
Stefan Schultze – Piano
Tom Rainey – Drums
Band Live Foto©Herbert Weissrock
Band Portrait Foto©Nicole Müller

Musik Akademie Basel
FOCUSYEARBASEL / JAZZCAMPUS
Focusyear Band 24

The current edition of the Focusyear Band is a truly international affair.
Nine remarkable musicians from around the world have participated in this unique immersion program based in Basel, Switzerland since September 2023. They are now more than ready to present their original music this spring/summer 2024.
Four saxophonists, each with a distinctly original sound form the frontline of this ensemble: Marta Wajdzik from Poland, an elegant virtuoso on both alto and soprano saxophone; Katie Webster, a bluesy alto saxophonist from the US pursuing new forms of improvised music; Baptiste Stanek, a fiery and technically brilliant musician from France who plays both tenor saxophone and bass clarinet; and Finn Vidal, a lyrical German tenor player whose free flowing improvisations often display a maturity beyond his years.
Two drummers will share their distinctly different rhythmic universes: Janis Jaunalksnis from Latvia and Juan Ibarra from Uruguay. On guitar, Jure Slapar from Slovenia contributes both immense fluidity and electronic colors. On bass, Thiago Duarte, hailing from Brazil, shapes the band‘s heartbeat with his compelling and elegant interpretation of pulse. Last but not least pianist Wes Georgiev, an American with Bulgarian roots, is an eloquent and expressive improviser who’s modern outlook is firmly rooted in the tradition of jazz.
These nine musicians have gone through a year of intense work with some of the most prominent and compelling contemporary musicians in the field of jazz:
Sara Serpa, Django Bates, Chris Cheek, Kris Davis, Julia Hülsmann, Ingrid Jensen, Anders Jormin, Guillermo Klein, Lionel Loueke, Linda May Han Oh, Wolfgang Muthspiel, Jorge Rossy, Kendrick Scott, Cuong Vu, Doug Weiss, Miguel Zenón.
Now they have become a well-balanced ensemble of individualists, performing their own pieces written specifically for this group of likeminded talents.

VIDEO VIMEO
MORE INFO FOCUSYEAR
FACEBOOK FOCUSYEAR

Marta Wajdzik – Alto/Sopran Saxophone
Katie Webster – Alto Saxophone
Baptiste Stanek – Tenor Saxophone/Bass Clarinet
Finn Vidal – Tenor Saxophone
Wes Georgiev – Piano
Jure Slapar – Guitar
Thiago Duarte – Bass
Janis Jaunalksnis – Drums
Juan Ibarra – Drums
Special Guest on the 11th: Julia Hülsmann – Piano
Foto©Susanna Drescher

Musik Akademie Basel
FOCUSYEARBASEL / JAZZCAMPUS
Focusyear Band 24

The current edition of the Focusyear Band is a truly international affair.
Nine remarkable musicians from around the world have participated in this unique immersion program based in Basel, Switzerland since September 2023. They are now more than ready to present their original music this spring/summer 2024.
Four saxophonists, each with a distinctly original sound form the frontline of this ensemble: Marta Wajdzik from Poland, an elegant virtuoso on both alto and soprano saxophone; Katie Webster, a bluesy alto saxophonist from the US pursuing new forms of improvised music; Baptiste Stanek, a fiery and technically brilliant musician from France who plays both tenor saxophone and bass clarinet; and Finn Vidal, a lyrical German tenor player whose free flowing improvisations often display a maturity beyond his years.
Two drummers will share their distinctly different rhythmic universes: Janis Jaunalksnis from Latvia and Juan Ibarra from Uruguay. On guitar, Jure Slapar from Slovenia contributes both immense fluidity and electronic colors. On bass, Thiago Duarte, hailing from Brazil, shapes the band‘s heartbeat with his compelling and elegant interpretation of pulse. Last but not least pianist Wes Georgiev, an American with Bulgarian roots, is an eloquent and expressive improviser who’s modern outlook is firmly rooted in the tradition of jazz.
These nine musicians have gone through a year of intense work with some of the most prominent and compelling contemporary musicians in the field of jazz:
Sara Serpa, Django Bates, Chris Cheek, Kris Davis, Julia Hülsmann, Ingrid Jensen, Anders Jormin, Guillermo Klein, Lionel Loueke, Linda May Han Oh, Wolfgang Muthspiel, Jorge Rossy, Kendrick Scott, Cuong Vu, Doug Weiss, Miguel Zenón.
Now they have become a well-balanced ensemble of individualists, performing their own pieces written specifically for this group of likeminded talents.

VIDEO VIMEO
MORE INFO FOCUSYEAR
FACEBOOK FOCUSYEAR

Marta Wajdzik – Alto/Sopran Saxophone
Katie Webster – Alto Saxophone
Baptiste Stanek – Tenor Saxophone/Bass Clarinet
Finn Vidal – Tenor Saxophone
Wes Georgiev – Piano
Jure Slapar – Guitar
Thiago Duarte – Bass
Janis Jaunalksnis – Drums
Juan Ibarra – Drums
Foto©Susanna Drescher