Rachel Eckroth - The Garden (September 3, 2021 Rainy Days Records)

Pianist, composer and singer Rachel Eckroth’s first release on Rainy Days Records unveils fresh sounds from her evolving artistry. Steeped in synth orchestration, The Garden reflects a nuanced exploration of sonic impulses and inquiries alongside Eckroth’s signature layered compositions and glimmers of trance-inducing vocals. With contributions from acclaimed guitarist Nir Felder, saxophonists Donny McCaslin and Andrew Krasilnikov and modular synth master Austin White, and a core band featuring bassist Tim Lefebvre and drummer Christian Euman, The Garden emerged conceptually while Eckroth was writing new music during the pandemic. “Everything on the album has a different feel to it — different colors and textures,” says the West Coast artist. “It felt like a garden. So we just rolled with it.”

Eckroth revels in new experiences across rich, diverse musical settings. The multifaceted artist continually refines her expression, frequently collaborating as a featured guest with creative visionaries who have included Rufus Wainwright, St. Vincent, KT Tunstall, Donny McCaslin, Tia Fuller and Chris Botti. But composing during the pandemic afforded Eckroth and partner Lefebvre unique opportunities to compose and perform together. From their home in Arizona, they dug in to each other’s expressions and began developing a duo sound. “Especially during Covid, we were making music pretty much every day together,” says Eckroth. When Eugene Petruhanskiy greenlit a possible release from Eckroth for Rainy Days, she and Lefebvre considered what they might create around a synth-forward recording. 

The textural-minded musicians began soundscaping across familiar territory and new domains. Almost immediately, the Prophet 6 emerged as a key element for record’s sound. “It ends up on a lot of my live gigs,” says Eckroth. “I’ve used it on all the tours I’ve played with other people. I’m a pianist, but the record doesn’t have a lot of piano. The Yamaha CP 70 served the ‘meat’ of some of the songs. And the Korg minilogue is an instrument I use really well for some reason; it’s very intuitive.

"Multifaceted artist Rachel Eckroth releases textural, mood-casting new music on Rainy Days Records “Eckroth explores difficult emotions with a deft touch, letting her soul-baring performance and swelling instrumentation form the heartfelt emotional core of the track ”

— Under the Radar

“Breathtaking vocals”

— PopMatters

“[Eckroth and Lefebvre] are two in-demand musicians who elude categorization”

— NPR Music’s Jazz Night in America

1. Dracaena

2. Under a Fig Tree

3. Low Hanging Fruit

4. Dried Up Roots

5. The Garden

6. Black Eyed Susan

7. Vines

8. Oil

Rachel Eckroth - Piano, Voice, Yamaha CP70, Prophet 6, Mellotron

Tim Lefebvre - Electric Bass, Guitar

Christian Euman - Drums

Donny McCaslin - Tenor Saxophone

Andrew Krasilnikov - Soprano Saxophone

Nir Felder - Electric Guitar

Austin White - Modular Synth

Written by Rachel Eckroth

Produced by Tim Lefebvre

Executive producer – Eugene Petrushanskiy

Mixed by Jason Kingsland at Frenchtown Sound

Mastered by Ed Brooks at Resonant

Mastering Recorded at Sonic Ranch - Studio A in Tornillo, TX

Recording engineer - Felipe Castaneda

Additional recording at Big Orange Sheep, Brooklyn, NY by Christopher Benham

Overdubs made at Blackbird Sessions in Tucson, AZ

Additional recording made in Moscow, by Sasha Mashin

Album art – Vika Kogai

Photography by Eugene Petrushanskiy

Video by Eugene Petrushanskiy and Rachel Eckroth

Package design by – Dimitri Komedea, 271dsgn

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Ex-Vitamins | "Ex-Vitamins" | Available August 27th, 2021

Anonymous Performer and Composer

Recruits All-Star Cast for High Energy Project;

Encourages Artists to Respond Instinctually with First Take Recordings

Eponymous Release Ex-Vitamins

Features Mark Guiliana, Nate Smith, Ben Wendel,

Tim Lefebvre, Shayna Steele, and More

Available Everywhere August 27

There is something both soothing and terrifying when a schedule clears. The opportunity to reclaim a bit of time that had been put aside for someone else can feel like an unexpected vacation. How we react and what we create during those unexpected and challenging breaks is what sets us apart. Ex-Vitamins was on that perpetual touring/recording/touring carousel before everybody’s schedule cleared. They worked tirelessly in front of crowds that could rival the population of most American towns.

 

A curious anonymity can wash over a tight band playing before a stadium crowd. The personality in the spotlight becomes oversized while the rest of the band focuses on that amplification, holding up mirrors to create an even brighter center point. Ex-Vitamins knows those crowds weren’t there to see him. They were there to see his boss. Ex-Vitamins has a lot of friends who did that for a living; musicians who once referred to David Bowie, St. Vincent, Paul Simon, Taylor Swift, Demi Lovato, or others as the boss. 

 

During the world’s unexpected hiatus, Ex-Vitamins set about creating a project that resulted in a series of songs and hypnotic music videos that untangle a funky brain far from rehearsals and shows and tours. “I had always wanted to take what I’ve learned in those musical situations and do something creative with it. I kept referring to it as a laptop side project,” the elusive composer said from his modest New Jersey studio. “I didn’t want attachment to any preconceived notions about how it should sound or what lane it goes into. I just wanted to make music.” So, with the spotlight off and the world retreating to their electrified caves, Ex-Vitamins assembled some friends and created a whole different beast.

  

The energy of contact-less collaboration bursts through from the very first seconds of the album and never slows down. “Some of these guys play in situations where they need to play the same kind of thing night to night. When they did whatever they wanted to, I got some unexpected results. I never had to say, ‘can you try something else?’ I value these guys’ voices so much on their own instruments. I called them for a reason. I didn’t just need a guitar. I needed Max Bernstein on this. I didn’t just need drums. I need what Mark Guiliana or Nate Smith can bring. These are guys that have their own voice.”

 

And that sound is not bound by time or travel restrictions. This album was recorded by musicians in New York, California, Arizona, Tennessee, and France. Smith, who was in Nashville, pounds out a strong backbeat for “Intro” that makes way for an orchestra of sounds: New Power Generation horns rise up in waves; a limber and soulful piano solo fights for space. “On some of these tunes, when I sent the music out it was, ‘don’t listen to it until you are ready to record. First take. Have as many toys as you can in the room. Send it back.’” 

 

Guitarists Robin Macatangay and Bernstein join Smith for “Are You Proud.” Together they engage in a funky rhythm guitar battle whose essence floats through the next two tracks as Bernstein stays for “Toronto” and “Ism.,” the latter of which takes the affair down a different ‘80s avenue. Visions of Morris Day and Rick James dance above Guiliana’s unmistakable drum kit. “Some of these songs initially felt like I was waiting for someone to come lay a topline melody, but the more I played them the more I got used to them existing on their own. Now I think adding anything else would get in the way,” says Ex-Vitamins.

 

“Hello, Let’s Go” features haunting synthesizers amid pounding drums. As the tune builds, another voice enters that shifts the whole experience. “I wrote a bridge to it and sent it to saxophonist Ben Wendel and he put the whole thing into outer space. There’s something very fulfilling about that arpeggiated bass line, that pulsing feel. It feels like it could go on forever.”

  

Vocalist Shayna Steele provides the swagger for “Fake Out,” her enthusiasm carrying the tune with a force that evokes great shouters like Tina Turner and Merry Clayton. Like any funky endeavor, a lot of weight falls on the bass player. Tim Lefebvre does here, as he does elsewhere on the album, just what makes him such an in-demand low-end master. “Every time I think I know what Tim’s going to play, he plays something else that’s even hipper. That’s the mark of an unbelievably creative musician,” says Ex-Vitamins. Drummer Chris Kimmerer is no slouch either. His driving push makes this collaboration a standout.

 

Ex-Vitamins bookends the album with a nod to their jazz roots in moments of lithe dexterity. “I wanted something athletic” he says of the unexpected solo, his sound is aggressively showered with a weighty grind. “You Are #9” brings back a few of the albums stand-out performers - Lefebvre, Guiliana, Kimmerer, Bernstein – for one last hurrah, an ascending thump in an optimistic direction.

 

“This past year was a time when everybody got a lot of perspective on what it is they do and what it is they like to do. That informs what I asked for from them, and it informs what they gave me. I was more open than ever to say, ‘do your thing.’ I want to have even less say in how it is that you do it,” says Ex-Vitamins on his first, self-titled album Ex-Vitamins. And that’s the point. Music for music’s sake. What secrets lie stacked in the basement studio? Who wants to help find out? The results may surprise you.

For more information on Ex-Vitamins, please visit:

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Wollny / Parisien / Lefebvre / Lillinger - XXXX (2021 ACT Music)

 eXplore

This story begins with just one sound, originating in the place which Berlin jazz people think of as their living room, the A-Trane. Back in December 2019, the club was host to four leading figures in today’s improvised music scene, who turned this cozy space into their blank canvas, their research lab. In eight sets over four nights, piano phenomenon Michael Wollny, re-inventor of the soprano saxophone Emile Parisien, electric bass icon Tim Lefebvre, and that free spirit of the drum kit Christian Lillinger were given free rein. They had agreed beforehand, incidentally, that nothing should be composed, arranged or pre-planned.

eXpand

As a result, the music we hear doesn’t fit into any category. We’re in uncharted territory, so a good way to capture its essence might be to break it down into its four component parts. First there’s Michael Wollny, here for the very first time playing only on electronic keyboard instruments. He creates a characterful world of retro-futuristic sounds that is very much his own. We find the occasional nod to early Jean-Michel Jarre, references to science fiction and horror movies, and also vivid memories of the sounds of avant-garde Krautrock: "Can" and Irmin Schmidt and Klaus Schulze. As for Tim Lefebvre, here is a musician who has plied his very great craft with stars such as David Bowie, the Tedeschi Trucks Band, John Mayer, Knower, Steely Dan, Elvis Costello and Wayne Krantz. Here he is like a rock in a tempestuous sea. He propels the music forward with a combination of bass and effects. He builds structures and tames unruly elements. The way he lays down a groove is overwhelming. As a counterbalance we find the explosive yet highly sensitive playing of drummer Christian Lillinger. He stacks layer upon layer of rhythms and textures. And the melodic lines of Emile Parisien on soprano saxophone always have an astonishing springy inventiveness. Such is Parisien’s latent energy, it seems as if at any moment he could suddenly become airborne.

eXploit

It takes a particular kind of musician to step forward willingly into a context like this with no fall-back or safety net. Before they actually met, the four musicians had been well aware of the risks. Each of them knew how different the others’ musical vocabularies and heritages were. And there was indeed a kind of tension at the start, which took about a quarter of an hour to subside. What took its place, however, was a collective sense of raised consciousness. The players’ eager curiosity as to what the next turn, the next impulse, the next push will be is palpable to the listener. One can sense the tension between the urge to construct forms, lines, grooves, harmonies, textures, versus the illicit joy of tearing such fragile structures apart before they have even been heard. There are beats and patterns from the 90s, 80s and 70s, all coalescing into cinematic bacchanalia of sound. These four master improvisers and composers all have the urge to rewrite the rules of their musical world – and to do so in real time.

eXterminate

And the story continues. The live sets by the musicians and their equipment produce a wealth of juxtapositions, fascinating collages of instrumental sounds. And in total, the recordings from the A-Trane result in at least eight hours of music. A decision is taken to distil these recordings into just one album that will be more than simply a document of the series of live concerts. Tim Lefebvre has the spark of an idea, and in February 2020, he and Michael Wollny meet producer and sound engineer Jason Kingsland in Atlanta. Kingsland has a background not just of working with renowned indie rock and pop artists, but also a passion for experimentation and improvisation. So the task becomes one of capturing the intoxication and the euphoria of these four Berlin nights, and also to take the abundance of possibilities and whittle them down to a cohesive album. Gradually, over several days and nights, the material is reduced, and a distillate consisting of ten surprisingly succinct tracks emerges. But here’s the paradox: this is a live recording which also sounds like a studio album… and yet every note in it was improvised at the club. What emerges here is an album full of joy, emotion, humour and an almost childlike, naïve pleasure in "playing". And it also presents a new trans-Atlantic group which is absolutely “sui generis” – a quartet which is one of its kind in the world right now.

1. Somewhere Around Barstow (Michael Wollny / Emile Parisien / Tim Lefebvre / Christian Lillinger) 04:14

2. Dick Laurent Is Dead (Michael Wollny / Emile Parisien / Tim Lefebvre / Christian Lillinger) 04:47

3. Too Bright in Here (Michael Wollny / Emile Parisien / Tim Lefebvre / Christian Lillinger) 05:33

4. Grandmother’s Hammer (Michael Wollny / Emile Parisien / Tim Lefebvre / Christian Lillinger) 01:59

5. The Haul (Michael Wollny / Emile Parisien / Tim Lefebvre / Christian Lillinger) 05:03

6. Find the Fish (Michael Wollny / Emile Parisien / Tim Lefebvre / Christian Lillinger) 03:05

7. Doppler FX (Michael Wollny / Emile Parisien / Tim Lefebvre / Christian Lillinger) 03:59

8. Michael vs. Michael (Michael Wollny / Emile Parisien / Tim Lefebvre / Christian Lillinger) 06:50

9. Nörvenich Lounge (Michael Wollny / Emile Parisien / Tim Lefebvre / Christian Lillinger) 03:47

10. Nostalgia for the Light (Michael Wollny) 05:22

Michael Wollny / synthesizer, rhodes & piano

Emile Parisien / soprano saxophone

Tim Lefebvre / electric bass & electronics

Christian Lillinger / drums & percussion

All music improvised by Michael Wollny, Emile Parisien, Tim Lefebvre & Christian Lillinger, except “Nostalgia for the Light” written & arranged by Michael Wollny; “Doppler FX” includes a sample of The Norwegian Wind Ensemble: “Rules of Behaviour Part II” directed by Geir Lysne & Michael Wollny

Recorded by Gleb Zagrebin live at A-Trane, Berlin, December 2019

Mastered by Zino Mikorey, Berlin

Produced and mixed by Jason Kingsland, Michael Wollny & Tim Lefebvre at Martin’s Garden, Roswell, Georgia, February 2020

Executive Producer: Andreas Brandis

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Julian & Roman Wasserfuhr - Landed in Brooklyn (ACT MUSIC 2017)

For their 5th album, German trumpeter Julian and pianist Roman Wasserfuhr are in Brooklyn. If Brooklyn were not one of the five boroughs of New York City, its 2.6 million inhabitants would make it the 4th largest city in the United States. And the secret is out: Manhattan may have the establishment institutions like Lincoln Center or the Village Vanguard, but the real action is in Brooklyn, with an abundance of creativity being generated by musicians from the Wasserfuhr brothers’ generation, working in apartments, lofts, bars, clubs and studios. 

The rise of the Wasserfuhrs has been meteoric, and “Landed in Brooklyn“ documents another important stage of it. The brothers first came to the attention of producer Siggi Loch when they were 17 and 20 years old, joining the roster of ACT’s “Young German Jazz” series. Their “stunning debut album” (Süddeutsche Zeitung) “Remember Chet” was released in 2006, already showing a distinctive and original sound. “Upgraded in Gothenburg” was released in 2009, with Scandinavian greats Nils Landgren, Lars Danielsson und Magnus Lindgren. “Gravity” from 2011 had a quartet involving Wolfgang Haffner and Lars Danielsson, and told a story of how gravity is defied and overcome. By the time they made “Running” in 2013, the brothers were setting their own pace and direction, composing, recording and producing it themselves.

Julian Wasserfuhr explains the origins of “Landed in Brooklyn: “Siggi Loch called us up last year, and asked if we were interested in making another album for the ACT label. Naturally we agreed – but we admitted that we hadn‘t really given it much thought.” So the idea emerged that the magic of the city of New York, as a force to propel and lift them, should became the concept behind the album. The established musicians they would then meet at the legendary System Two Recording Studios would act as their fountainheads of inspiration.

First and foremost among those inspirers is saxophonist Donny McCaslin, the lynchpin of David Bowie’s last revelatory masterpiece “Blackstar”. Tim Lefebvre, known in Europe for his work with the Michael Wollny Trio, and also a member of Bowie’s last band is equally at home in jazz and in rock contexts. Nate Wood is an in-demand first call drummer and close associate of Donny McCaslin.

Is that enough jazz chops and credibility? Well, there’s more, in the form of a GRAMMY winner, producer Al Pryor whose craft, knowledge and deep experience have brought listeners closer to the musicality and emotion of artists such as Cécile McLorin Salvant, Raul Midón and Christian McBride.

Very little had been agreed or set down in advance when Julian und Roman Wasserfuhr arrived at the studio to meet the top-drawer American players. They had brought the sheet music of some pieces with them, but the guiding principle was to see what would transpire and to let things happen:

“Bernie’s Tune” is a wonderfully optimistic up tempo opener. We’re straight into the ensemble sound that these players achieved without rehearsals, but with big ears and inspired playing. The band is here in its quintet form with guest artist Donnie McCaslin’s saxophone weaving and blending his counter melody with Julian’s trumpet. Julian and Roman’s obvious appreciation of funk and back beats is on display in “Tutto”. Julian’s wicked solo is balanced by Roman’s thoughtful, soulful take on the changes of the song. Nate Wood finds a deep and danceable groove. A power ballad, Tokio Hotel’s “Durch den Monsun”, in a clever arrangement by Julian and Roman, showcases their trademark interweaving of melodic lines. There’s a blistering tenor solo by McCaslin, followed by Julian’s intensely rhythmic triple tongued riffs. Nate Wood closes out the tune with a power drum salvo. On “Tinderly” and “S.N.C.F.” Julian and Donny make their bid for a place among the great front line horn players of jazz calling to mind such combinations as the fire of Freddie Hubbard and the cool of Stanley Turrentine. With Sting’s “Seven Days” Julian and Roman Wasserfuhr own the 5/4 time signature – as jazz musicians do. “Carlo” fuses the energy of this ensemble into the discipline, empathy and majesty that can only be found in a great ballad. 

Roman begins the final performance on the record, “First Rays Of Dawn”, just as he began the first: with a motif expressed in his pianism that allows Julian and the band to slip into a rapid and revelatory up tempo waltz; closing out the recording as they began, and in a manner characteristic of what has become a tradition in Brooklyn and beyond: new ideas and the artists who bring them.

1. Bernie`s Tune ( Julian & Roman Wasserfuhr) 05:50

2. Tutto ( Julian & Roman Wasserfuhr) 05:10

3. Tinderly ( Julian & Roman Wasserfuhr) 07:25

4. Durch den Monsun ( P. Benzner, P. Hoffmann, D. Jost, D. Roth & B. Kaulitz) 08:19

5. Carlo ( Julian & Roman Wasserfuhr) 06:06

6. S.N.C.F. ( Julian & Roman Wasserfuhr) 06:05

7. Ella ( Julian & Roman Wasserfuhr) 04:44

8. Seven Days ( Sting) 05:44

9. First Rays Of Dawn ( Julian & Roman Wasserfuhr) 07:31

Julian Wasserfuhr / trumpet & flugelhorn

Roman Wasserfuhr / piano, marimba, seaboard

Donny McCaslin / tenor saxophone

Tim Lefebvre / electric & double bass

Nate Wood / drums

Music composed by Julian & Roman Wasserfuhr, unless otherwise noted

Produced by Al Pryor

Curated by Siggi Loch

Recorded by Max Ross 

at Systems Two Recording Studios, Brooklyn (NY), August, 13 & 14, 2016

Mixed and mastered by Klaus Scheuermann, September 2016

Donny McCaslin - Beyond Now (2016) MOTÉMA MUSIC

Deeply influenced by the extraordinary experience of collaborating with David Bowie on his final release, 'Blackstar', Donny McCaslin steps forward with 'Beyond Now'. 

Recorded a few months after Bowie's passing, it is a heartfelt dedication to the Starman. Alongside Bowie's 'Last Band' (Jason Lindner, Mark Guiliana, Tim Lefebvre and McCaslin himself), Donny reimagines two Bowie songs, tracks by Deadmau5 and MUTEMATH, plus powerful originals, displaying the rich musicality and innovation that originally led to him working with one of the most creative artists of all time.

"It was like a dream except it was something I never could have dreamed of," reflects McCaslin on working with Bowie. "David Bowie was a visionary artist whose generosity, creative spirit and fearlessness will stay with me the rest of my days. 'Beyond Now' is dedicated to him and to all who loved him."

Comprised of core 'Blackstar' personnel, bassist Tim Lefebvre (Tedeschi Trucks Band, Saturday Night Live), drummer Mark Guiliana (Me'shell Ndegeocello, Brad Mehldau) and Jason Lindner (Now Vs Now), along with guitarist Nate Wood and producer David Binney, 'Beyond Now' is comprised of two Bowie songs, covers of Deadmau5 and MUTEMATH as well as compelling McCaslin originals that include the title composition, inspired by a track inspired by a song McCaslin recorded for 'Blackstar' that didn't make the album.

With three GRAMMY nominations and 11 albums to his name, McCaslin's path to Bowie and 'Beyond Now' can be traced back to 2011 and the release of his album 'Perpetual Motion', taking on an electric direction for the first time in contrast to his previous acoustic projects. Two subsequent albums 'Casting for Gravity' (2012) and 'Fast Future' (2015) released with his working band were directly influenced by electronica artists (covering groups such as Aphex Twin, Boards of Canada, and Baths), which netted McCaslin a 2013 GRAMMY nomination for 'Best Improvised Jazz Solo'.

The (as it turned out) once in a lifetime opportunity to work with Bowie came after composer Maria Schneider, a longtime collaborator, recommended McCaslin and his group to Bowie. Schneider and Bowie were collaborating on the track 'Sue (Or in a Season of Crime)', which featured McCaslin as a soloist. In June 2014, Bowie heeded Schneider's advice and made a visit to hear McCaslin and co at the 55 Bar in Greenwich Village. Soon after, Bowie began corresponding with McCaslin over email and sending music, forming a new collaboration and friendship that transpired through the recording of 'Blackstar' until Bowie's passing. The result is 'Beyond Now', which documents the 'Last Band' as they were processing both their grief and Bowie's distinctive impact.

"This new album is an expression of that journey for all of us," says McCaslin. "David allowed 'Blackstar' to be what it was going to be regardless of how people might have categorised it. More than anything, it was his fearlessness in crossing musical boundaries and genres in his music and life that inspired the risks I'm taking in 'Beyond Now'. I am indebted to Bowie for showing me the risks and rewards of going for your uncompromising musical vision."

1 Shake Loose

2 A Small Plot of Land

3 Beyond Now

4 Coelacanth 1

5 Bright Abyss

6 Faceplant

7 Warszawa

8 Glory

9 Remain

Donny McCaslin, tenor sax

Jason Lindner, piano

Tim Lefebvre, bass

Mark Guiliana, drums

Zhenya Strigalev - Never Group (feat. Eric Harland, Tim Lefebvre & Bruno Liberda) 2016

Source: Whirlwind Recordings

“A typical Strigalev collision of hip jazz virtuosity and surrealism… Strigalev’s alto displays bebop agility, shivery lyricism, or sometimes a bluesy Ornetteish swerve.” The Guardian

Russian-born, London-based alto saxophonist Zhenya Strigalev follows up his 2015 Whirlwind sextet release Robin Goodie with his new trio project Never Group. Recorded over two days in Berlin with the rhythm section of electric bassist Tim Lefebvre and drummer Eric Harland – as well as welcoming guests such as keyboardist John Escreet, double bassist Matt Penman and trumpeter Alex Bonney – Strigalev’s desire with this different focus is to fashion the unexpected and the fleeting (alluded to in the project name) both from his own original compositions and the contributions of respected Austrian electronics composer/musician Bruno Liberda (who also appears on this recording).

Building a reputation on both sides of the North Atlantic for his adventurous and impassioned emphasis on improvisation, Never Group is an experience that matches quirky abandon with resolute musicianship and technicality. As Zhenya confirms: “No other rhythm section sounds like Eric and Tim; I like their chemistry together – and I wanted to collaborate with them to record a chordless trio album which gave me more freedom, so I could further expand my musical language.” In an hour-plus abundance of 20 tracks, Strigalev and colleagues elicit bristling spontaneity, from the rasping percussiveness of ‘Bio Active’ to ‘Strange Party‘s’ grungy swagger; from the echoic, electronically-manipulated mystery of Liberda’s ‘Bassgeigengeister’ and ‘Heimwehharfe’ to the raw, boppy mischievousness of ‘Some Thomas’ and playful, grooving ‘Snail’.

The trio’s studio jam sessions covered some four hours, so this album’s choice performances – punctuated throughout by succinct, exploratory codas mostly characterised by Harland’s precision drumming – offer a glimpse into the leader’s impulsive creativity and this close-knit trio partnership’s unfettered realization of his imaginings. Strigalev enjoys the challenge of shining a light on the undiscovered, and describes the desired on-the-edge thrill that unfolded from these sessions: “The whole point of what I do is that I need to surprise myself; I don’t want to record something which sounds exactly like this or like that, because that’s not interesting enough to me. Sometimes I can simply feel a tempo, a mood or an atmosphere, and I know this trio will provide the opportunity to develop that.”

Zhenya Strigalev - alto saxophone

Tim Lefebvre - electric bass

Eric Harland - drums

with guests:

Bruno Liberda - electronics

Matt Penman - double bass

John Escreet - keyboards

Alex Bonney - trumpet

Charles Armstrong - voice

Recorded November 2015 at Golden Retriever Studio, Berlin

Mixing and editing: Alex Bonney 

Sound Engineering: Arno Shumann 

Mastering: Peter Beckmann 

Produced by: Zhenya Strigalev 

Executive Producer: Michael Janisch

01. I Messed Up at the End of My Solo (Intro) [feat. Alex Bonney, Bruno Liberda, Eric Harland, John Escreet, Matt Penman & Tim Lefebvre] 2:10

02. Bio Active (feat. Alex Bonney, Bruno Liberda, Eric Harland, John Escreet, Matt Penman & Tim Lefebvre) 7:07

03. Not Upset (Coda 1) [feat. Alex Bonney, Bruno Liberda, Eric Harland, John Escreet, Matt Penman & Tim Lefebvre] 1:42

04. Bassgeingengeister (feat. Alex Bonney, Bruno Liberda, Eric Harland, John Escreet, Matt Penman & Tim Lefebvre) 1:51

05. Some Thomas (feat. Alex Bonney, Bruno Liberda, Eric Harland, John Escreet, Matt Penman & Tim Lefebvre) 5:24

06. Strange Party (Coda 2) [feat. Alex Bonney, Bruno Liberda, Eric Harland, John Escreet, Matt Penman & Tim Lefebvre] 2:41

07. Plasticksackerl Im Wind (feat. Alex Bonney, Bruno Liberda, Eric Harland, John Escreet, Matt Penman & Tim Lefebvre) 1:23

08. Little Struggle (Coda 3) [feat. Alex Bonney, Bruno Liberda, Eric Harland, John Escreet, Matt Penman & Tim Lefebvre] 1:52

09. Strange Party (feat. Alex Bonney, Bruno Liberda, Eric Harland, John Escreet, Matt Penman & Tim Lefebvre) 6:46

10. Reading Shakespeare (feat. Alex Bonney, Bruno Liberda, Eric Harland, John Escreet, Matt Penman & Tim Lefebvre) 3:08

11. Second Hand (feat. Alex Bonney, Bruno Liberda, Eric Harland, John Escreet, Matt Penman & Tim Lefebvre) 7:00

12. Heimwehharfe (feat. Alex Bonney, Bruno Liberda, Eric Harland, John Escreet, Matt Penman & Tim Lefebvre) 3:03

13. Snail (feat. Alex Bonney, Bruno Liberda, Eric Harland, John Escreet, Matt Penman & Tim Lefebvre) 5:03

14. Reading Shakespeare (Coda 4) [feat. Alex Bonney, Bruno Liberda, Eric Harland, John Escreet, Matt Penman & Tim Lefebvre] 2:03

15. Hot Exactly (feat. Alex Bonney, Bruno Liberda, Eric Harland, John Escreet, Matt Penman & Tim Lefebvre) 4:57

16. Strange Party (Coda 5) [feat. Alex Bonney, Bruno Liberda, Eric Harland, John Escreet, Matt Penman & Tim Lefebvre] 2:07

17. Not Upset (Coda 6) [feat. Alex Bonney, Bruno Liberda, Eric Harland, John Escreet, Matt Penman & Tim Lefebvre] 2:54

18. Are You Manageable? (feat. Alex Bonney, Bruno Liberda, Eric Harland, John Escreet, Matt Penman & Tim Lefebvre) 5:40

19. The Slow Rub (feat. Alex Bonney, Bruno Liberda, Eric Harland, John Escreet, Matt Penman & Tim Lefebvre) 4:08

20. Not Upset (Coda 7) [feat. Alex Bonney, Bruno Liberda, Eric Harland, John Escreet, Matt Penman & Tim Lefebvre] 2:45

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