DogOn - Floater (2021 Double Moon Records)

The best way to get moving is to have several variants. Sometimes boarding, then letting loose again, sometimes floating and walking alternately, sometimes driving or optionally crawling, sometimes motorized in a car, but you can also resort to the good old bike again. As different as all these variants may be, you can somehow get moving with everyone and ultimately reach your destination. In this respect, DogOn, the power trio of the bustling Zurich guitarist Eric Hunziker, can certainly be understood as a collection of modes and possibilities of movement. Or better: a vehicle to realize the diverse musical fantasies of the band line-up.

Hunziker, bassist Thomas Tavano and Tobias Hunziker on drums like it to be hearty and hefty. Sometimes it thunders rocking (boarding), sometimes it sounds jazzy (let loose), then there are filigree improvisations (walking) and mysterious sound collages (floating), eventually to return to funky grooves (car, preferably fast!) or even a pinch of dubbing (muscle power; or transferred to the musical life: unplugged). Without any inhibitions, filled with joy of playing, DogOn stakes its territory without stylistic blinders and puristic ulterior motives. Because Switzerland, or perhaps even Earth, has long become too small for this, they search for remote galaxies and planets, as the guitar-playing astronaut expresses on the cover of their second CD “Floater”.

The trio, which comes from the environment of the Lucerne Music Academy, navigates its spaceship confidently through stylistic spheres, steers it confidently through delicate meteorite showers and mysterious sound fog. The emerging sound might remind connoisseurs of Tribal Tech, Bunny Brunel or Wayne Krantz. But the guys don't really want to be perceived as a copy of famous role models in any phase, but have long since developed their own sound, with which they have been regarded as a hot secret tip since their debut album “Rotten Rainbow Rollercoaster”, especially in their Swiss homeland.

Of course, DogOn primarily lives from the distinctive guitar sound of its mastermind Eric Hunziker. As a composer, the string dervish is responsible for all ten tracks on “Floater”. In recent years, he has gained an impressive and prominent standing in renowned Swiss acts (Peter’s PlayStation, Lobith and Fearless Five) as a sideman, but also in his own projects (Neuromodulator and Swiss Indian Orchestra). His versatile, varied style has stood out again and again in this context. It proves to be an immense advantage that Hunziker not only masters “boarding” but also a number of other gaits in an almost dreamlike way. The founding of the adrenaline-rich combo stems from an encounter at the legendary Zurich Bazillus Club, where Eric Hunziker met Thomas Tavano and Tobias Hunziker in 2015. Since then, the band has completed a series of tours in Russia and Germany. It also had guest appearances at renowned festivals such as the Lithuanian “Mama Jazz”.

However, the actual quality of the grooving threesome lies in the fact that it is possible to get moving not just with the help of the energy of the guitar. DogOn does well to use the power of Tavano's driving six-string bass and the razor-sharp beat of drummer Tobias Hunziker for their trip through the infinite expanses of modern music. In this respect, the spaceship has a strong captain, but also a highly qualified and motivated crew. And it can be heard in every corner of the universe with guarantee.

1. Floater 04:58

2. Carbon Chauvinist 05:41

3. Hidden Room 06:01

4. Shutter Cutter 03:02

5. Priester 04:19

6. Pork Cheek 03:54

7. Devil’s Choice 04:32

8. Phone Breaker 04:49

9. Dashashwamedh Ghat 05:46

10. When We Feel 04:25

Eric Hunziker, Guitar

Thomas Tavano, Bass

Tobias Hunziker, Drums

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Michel Meis 4tet - Lost in Translation (DOUBLE MOON RECORDS January 11, 2019)

Born in 1989, Michel Meis belongs to the new generation of Luxembourgish jazz musicians and regularly proves his versatility and openness through numerous projects.

After years of style shaping and sound experiments, his 4tet is about to make its mark on the European jazz scene with a sonic vocabulary that skillfully blends the traditional palette of drums, trombone, piano and double bass with the fresh approach and the broad musical background of open-minded and fearless musicians. The result is an exciting modern jazz where free and experimental improvisations meet well-crafted compositions. Where a rhythm, bursting with energy and vivacity, meets introverted and lyrical melodies. Where conventional jazz elements meet a clever and subtle use of jungle beats and electronic sound effects. Although a true powerhouse drummer, Michel Meis gives enough room for the other instruments to unfold, thus emphasizing the cohesiveness and harmony of the project.

Michel Meis, drums

Alisa Klein, trombone

Cédric Hanriot, piano

Stephan Goldbach, double bass

1 King Kong  05:32

2 Desire  07:38

3 Lost In Translation  03:51

4 Reflection  07:17

5 Hope  03:57

6 In A Dream  04:52

7 Heaven  05:22

8 Morena  05:45

Cowboys from Hell - Running Man (DOUBLE MOON RECORDS 2018)

A man is running. Fits probably more to the vocabulary of sport. Otherwise, a boring picture at a time when everyone is running anyway. But running can mean many things. Running away from something or anyone. Step up the pace, give gas. Or move forward at the highest level, never settle down, think extremely, act extremely, live extremely. Therefore, running is also a metaphor for our entire existence: As long as our hearts are running, we run too. Standstill inevitably means the end.

It's quite possible that the Cowboys From Hell think that way. Following "Monster Rodeo" (Altri Suoni) in 2008 and "Big Fish" (DMCHR 71107) in 2012, they call their third album "Running Man” not without reason. At first glance, this sounds like the logical continuation of their once brutal sound avalanches, for which there are so many drastic comparisons in the media as "music that is always able to scare your grandmother, but also tells stories that are worth being told. "(Jazzthetik),” Music for the pit of yous stomach” (Tagesanzeiger, Switzerland), "Wicked. Exacerbated. Borderline"(Sonntagszeitung, Switzerland). But somehow body-hurting noise, booming ears, throbbing skull membranes and vibrating walls no longer seem to be the sole bliss-making goal of the high-speed cowboys. "We did not want to be as blatant as we used to be," saxophonist Christoph Irniger described the surprisingly multi-faceted development process of the trio documented in nine songs. If he, bassist Marco Blöchlinger and drummer Chrigel Bosshard did it the hard way in the past, then that meant: "Wild at any price, complicated and full of biting humor. Of course, these are all things that still have a certain value for us. But in the meantime, we do not have to show that we can play really difficult stuff, like 11/8 or 7/4 bars. In the meantime, we want one thing above all: finally to be authentic."

A maturing process of the three men without a doubt who have either reached the limit of the thirties in 2018 (Irniger) or have arrived in the early forties (Blöchlinger and Bosshard). Since 2005, they have been riding around Swiss and European countries as hard to overhear, tough wild west musicians, playing in very different areas of the music scene. For example, Chrigel Bosshard and Marco Blöchlinger are regarded as the mainstays in pop bands such as Lunik, Marc Sway, Steffe La Cheffe and Myron, while Christoph Irniger enriches jazz clubs and festivals with his trio and the group Pilgrim. A constant, restless back and forth between the genres, between styles and melodies, quotes and influences. "Of course, everyone has his personal favorites," Irniger explained the energetic hodge-podge. "I just recently practiced 'Off Minor' by Monk for an hour. That's the good old jazz. My contribution to the Cowboys. The other two have also enjoyed a solid jazz education, but are clearly rooted in pop and rock. "

Not the least because of that, the three Zurich residents are once again taking a real risk. They break with conventions and stereotypes, underlining exactly what not so long ago subdivided music into good and bad, valuable and superficial, exciting and routine, free and regulated, but this time much more subtly, finely, and sustainably. They act without blinkers, and do not spend much time reflecting on whether steaming funk grooves, smoking rock cannons or bubbling electronics fit into an improvising corset. They simply try it, with sometimes quite amazing results reminiscent of Frank Zappa or Rage Against The Machine for their dynamic shades of film music.

Of course, the three Cowboys from Hell are still loud and wild. That's their blood. But now it is no longer about a racket as a distinctive feature. Instead, the common playing attitude is in the current center of the collective desires. "We have become more compact,” the saxophonist summed up. A controlled eruption that includes pieces like "Breaking Stones", "First Song", "Speed Of Sound", "Wicked Game", "Urbi Et Orbit", "The Slope", "I'll Be Fine", "Vintage Baby" or the title song clearing the path from the volcano down into the valley. When everything has come to rest, when the lava has cooled, then suddenly there is a piece of hitherto unknown, fascinating music in the wide landscape. An adrenalin-containing pleasure.

Juan José Mosalini Orchestra - Live Tango (reissue) DOUBLE MOON RECORDS 2018

Tango is currently en vogue, the spirit of the time. Almost everyone hears it, and many play it. Sometimes they add the word "Nuevo", add a dash of jazz, like to mix in the sweet brew of pop in their recipe to spice it up a bit and make it "palatable" for a broad range of tastes in music. Why is that? Because the tango in its original, pure form with all its dark facets, all its melancholy and dreariness might not be so popular anymore?

What we have been enjoying for a long time, especially in western hemispheres, can usually be described as "Tango Light", a washed-out version of that great, classical Argentine music that at best faintly recalls opulent, heavy-blooded orchestras, dimly lit, smoky ballrooms and elegant, erotic dances. Anyone who desires to hear the original today has to turn to historical material. In the meantime, there is virtually no one who understands how to interpret the music of Juan d'Arienzo, Carlos Di Sarli, Osvaldo Pugliese or Aníbal Troilo authentically, the great classic masters of Tango de Salón.

The exception to this rule is the name Juan José Mosalini, who has just turned three quarters of a century old and has breathed life into tango since he was 13 years old. When he plays, a moment of his native country resonates in every note. This is precisely because he never really had solid ground under his feet. It is the sound of the tango that has been carrying this Argentine around the world for more than 40 years. He expresses his passion for a musician's life on his bandoneon, which long ago led him to the forefront of this music genre. That he is currently considered the world's best tango musician who still can be experienced live is no coincidence. Mosalini has played with the most important orchestras and soloists of Argentina such as Susana Rinaldi, Leopoldo Federico, Astor Piazzolla, José Basso, Horacio Salgan, and Daniel Binelli. He has composed legendary film scores, published his own bandoneon teaching method, and became a professor for bandoneon in France, where he has been living since fleeing his homeland from the military dictatorship in 1977.

At the height of his career, Juan José Mosalini has now made his greatest desire a reality: a large tango orchestra as was commonly the case in Argentina in the 1940s and 1950s. No pompous nostalgia infusion, but instead a revival of the heyday of tango. Mosalini’s orchestra with a whole armada of bandoneons, violins, a viola, contrabass and grand piano impresses with razor-sharp intonation, bouncy elegant phrasing and a rousing sense of rhythm, which would be a real treat for many a "real" symphony orchestra. On the double CD "Live Tango", Mosalini and prominent collaborators such as Jean-Baptiste Henry, Marisa Mercade, Sandra Rumolino and Reynaldo Anselmi celebrate tango in its purest, most authentic form. The gradually developing fireworks of emotions, images and stories with traditional arrangements by Argentino Galván, Gustavo Gancedo, Emilio Balcarce and Gustavo Beytelmann captivates every listener leaving almost no chance of resisting its lure and opens the ears of those who have only experienced the beauty of the tango from narratives or from diluted plagiarism until now.

In the liner notes of "Live Tango”, Juan José Mosalini talks about a conversation with his teacher, the great tango composer Osvaldo Pugliese (1905-1995), whom he had the honor of accompanying during his last years in Argentina. When Mosalini claimed that every orchestra could be brilliant and play at the highest level, but after him (Pugliese) and other legends such as Troilo, Salgan, Di Sarli, everything had been said, the maestro vehemently contradicted him. “That's not true!” It always depends on how you compose and play something!" That more or less means that whoever brings his passion and his heart into play will always create something new and wonderful. Like Juan José Mosalini.

Maik Krahl Quartet - Decidophobia (DOUBLE MOON RECORDS 2018)

It is a confession: Maik Krahl makes fear a subject of discussion. Fear of making decisions or doing something that you might regret later. The fear of making an irreparable error, perhaps ruining your future as a result, being rejected or giving offense. Not a few people are inclined to postpone answers to urgent questions in the hope that everything will somehow solve itself. But only waiting even increases the problem.

Psychology calls this phenomena “decidophobia”. “Especially as a jazz musician, you are forced continually to make decisions. Everything that you do has a direct influence on the band and the character of the piece. You cannot simply trust any mechanisms. It is a question of with which musicians I record, and which pieces are included on the CD,” Krahl explained. For him, it is less a question of fear of possibly negative consequences, the trumpeter assured. “I would instead call it decision uncertainty.” Because it concerns a lot in the current case for Krahl. After all, it is his first album under his own name and which is being released in the highly respected Jazz thing Next Generation series, which has supplied the German-language scene with fresh blood and new heroes for almost 15 years. As if that were not a sufficient burden, Maik Krahl can also set the candle on the birthday cake, because he of all people is the 75th protagonist of JTNG. This apparently provides sufficient reasons for him self-critically to call his debut “Decidophobia”. Then congratulations!

Although the musician born in Bautzen in 1991 really has no reason to worry. The seven songs on the CD, which he recorded with Bruno Müller (guitar), Oliver Lutz (bass), Hendrik Smock (drums) and Constantin Krahmer (piano), are brimming with bold inspiration, amazing solutions, compositional finesse and stupendous virtuosity. At the same time, you can detect an interesting portfolio of influences, which Maik Krahl absorbed voraciously during his studies at Carl Maria von Weber College in Dresden as well as Folkwang University of the Arts in Essen. However, nobody should be surprised at this with teachers such as Till Brönner, Malte Burba and Ryan Carniaux. The latter praises his student in the liner notes as an extraordinary young musician, “who is solidly rooted in the past, oriented to the needs of the present in everything he does and at the same time always looks to the horizon to recognize at an early stage everything that the future might bring forth.”

The fact that decisions here cannot be easy is obvious. Maik Krahl selected a subtle, swinging approach with a lean-playing rhythm section, “which also corresponds to my strong relationship to jazz tradition, to the great trumpet players such as Chet Baker, Kenny Dorham, Clifford Brown and Louis Armstrong.” His own compositions such as “Dance Little Walnut Dance”, “Demian”, “Number 3”, “Via Metauro”, “It Happened To Me”, “Ombrophily” and the title piece produce a refreshingly modern, unpretentious impression, while the band leader dares to take a courageous step into hardly developed no-mans-land with his decision to amplify his mildly shining, robust trumpet sound with an electric phaser in extensive sections.

Maik Krahl might brood about a lot that is wrong or right, what makes sense or what does not. However, precisely because he left nothing to chance, his debut CD sounds above all courageous and daring. It is as if someone would dive from a cliff not knowing whether he is going to land in water. A risk that has paid off in all respects, not only for Ryan Carniaux. He has not regretted the decision, he writes, to dedicate time to this great CD. Everything done right!

Maik Krahl - Trumpet

Bruno Müller - Guitar

Oliver Lutz - Bass

Hendrik Smock - Drums

1 Dance Little Walnut Dance  08:38

2 Demian  08:11

3 Number 3  06:28

4 Via Metauro  07:07

5 It Happened To Me  05:10

6 Ombrophily  07:17

7 Decidophobia  08:18

Birgitta Flick Quartet - Color Studies (DOUBLE MOON RECORDS 2018)

This is a step in a different direction. Forward, sideways, pause for a moment and then continue. But do not go back in any case. Before Birgitta Flick was pigeonholed as a Nordic sound artist due to the explicitly Swedish, peaceful, expansive ambiance of her previous albums “Yingying” (DMCHR 71121) and “Dalarna” (DMCHR 71170), she wanted to very consciously head in a different direction, introduce new colors, get to the bottom of them and play with them. Although there is of course grey again (“Grey”), because that fits somehow to the reflective tenor saxophonist, who was grown up in the area of Neubrandenburg and lives in Berlin. However, she also likes to romp around in “Yellow Room”, loves the colorful hotchpotch of “Pop Art”, juggles with musical shades of color in “Major and Minor” (composed by Béla Bartók), surprises with a “Happy Song” (“Happiness is currently the color blue for me. But that can change again in half a year.”) and gets to bottom of everything, i.e., “Color Studies”.  A paradigm shift for Birgitta Flick, which gives her and her perfectly matched band with drummer Max Andrzejewski, pianist Andreas Schmidt and the new bassist James Banner the possibility to present themselves as sound artists in the best sense of the word.

“After ‘Dalarna’, which originated from an order for a composition with a clear contextual background, we simply wanted to move in free space, wanted to improvise and combine the sum total of our inspirations,” Birgitta Flick explained the motif of her collective studies. “The idea with colors originated rather by chance, because I had the piece ‘Color Studies’. However, we soon realized that it expresses what we are doing very well.” The reason is that Flick, Andrzejewski, Schmidt and Banner experiment with the respective compositions as well as their melodic and rhythmic structures to create music from and for the moment.

In the process, we again experience the amazing magnetic attraction of a quartet, this small, compact, unbelievably dynamic band lineup. The musicians have to fit together in any case, love freedom and master their respective instrument. They start with a minimum of guidelines and information, interleave, and blend seamlessly into one. “There are notes there, and we simply make something of them,” Birgitta Flick stated concisely. When they do this, only unique pieces are created, no copies or repetitions, even in concerts. Everything comes and disappears again (if it is not recorded as in this case). Consequently, there are two different versions of Bach’s “Sarabande”, Flick’s older, many-layered miniature “Gespenster” and even “Color Studies” on the album, which approach themes from two opposing sides. Additionally, there are the dedications “Für Paul”, “Für Connie” (in honor of the deceased pianist Connie Crothers), “Line”, “Kor” and “H”, the homage by Andreas Schmidt for Thelonious Monk and Eric Dolphy (“Molphy”), his “Art Pop” as well as the collective improvisation “Ludus”. Four instrument players who come together in a confined space, four streams of thought, 16 takes, exciting, unique and gripping.

The “Color Studies” reveal themselves to be a collection of sketches and pictures, fragments and small strokes of genius, which Birgitta Flick has combined into a whole picture with her magnificent quartet. A snapshot of a rather peaceful, modest saxophonist, who will add a soothing, fresh color to the German jazz scene in the coming years.

Birgitta Flick - saxophone

Andreas Schmidt - piano

James Banner - bass

Max Andrzejewski - drums

1 Grey  03:34

2 Yellow Room  04:54

3 H  03:34

4 Für Paul  03:21

5 Art Pop  04:28

6 Color Studies #1  03:27

7 Sarabande #1  01:30

8 Gespenster #1  02:18

9 Kor  01:38

10 Gespenster #2  01:41

11 Sarabande #2  01:21

12 Happy Song  04:28

13 Molphy  05:43

14 Major and Minor  01:27

15 Ludus  01:27

16 Line  04:01

17 Für Connie  05:18

18 Color Studies #2  04:17

Elodie Lauton Quintette - Origines (DOUBLE MOON RECORDS 2018)

Hardly anyone knows Damia today, a famous French singer and actress who is considered the model of later world stars such as Edith Piaf, Barbara or Juliette Greco. In her chansons, Damia almost exclusively sang the life that in her case had tragic elements, which is why she received the nickname “la tragédienne de la chanson” (the tragic figure of the chanson). The singer was idolized between the world wars, but increasingly forgotten after the occupation of France by the Germans. Her music and voice only appeared again decades later in the films of Claude Chabrol, Jean Eustache and Aki Kaurismäki. “Dalmia’s story and her repertoire touched me very deeply. She had her own style and was the first “Chanteuse réaliste” in our country,” Elodie Lauton explained the motives for “Originis”, her second album after the much-respected crossover project “Terminal B”, which she released in 2012 with the group Goldamour around the pianist/keyboarder Jasper van’t Hof.

For the homage to her idol Damia, Elodie Lauton assembled a number of outstanding European musicians such as the French trumpeter Stéphane Belmondo, the Spanish drummer Jorge Rossy and the Swiss Hungarian contrabassist Tibor Elekes (cb), whereby the American pianist Kirk Lightsey, who has been living in Paris since the beginning of the 1990s, can also be referred to as such. Jean-Claude André (trumpet), Philippe Koerper (saxophone), Andreas Tschopp (trombone), Priscille Blein (flute), Günther Wehinger (flute) and Marc Bätscher (bass clarinet) enrich the light band sound as a veritable wind ensemble. The result touches and goes you directly to your heart. Chansons in her native language with this very special, subtly swinging jazz touch: Elodie Lauton absolutely wanted to try that out. The Swiss pianist Felix Graf composed the arrangements more or less precisely to fit her style, which give the very personal texts of Damia and the voice of the vocalist a distinctive aura.

"I try to understand from where I come, so I know who I am and where I am going,” Elodie Lauton emphasized. "The texts, the words which I interpret, are very important for me. Felix has succeeded in merging jazz with French chansons and a small, traditional wind ensemble, while preserving our musical identity at the same time.” Giving Dalmia’s melodies new life together with the fascinating Kirk Lightsey was incredible fun for her and the whole band. This becomes more than clear after a few seconds in marvelous songs such as “Le Vent Mʼa Dit une Chanson” (The wind told me a story), “Je Voudrais Que La Nuit” (I would like this night) or “Celui Qui sʼen Va” (Whoever goes).

Elodie Lauton comes from Montpellier and has played piano and cello as well as composed since early childhood. She already knew that singing would play a central role in her life when she graduated with a diploma in cello studies when she was 17 and later when she received a Ph.D. in musicology. In other words, another course of study, and this time at Basel Music College. In the Jazz Department there, Susanne Abbuehl initiated her into the secrets of vocal art, and she graduated with a Master’s Degree in 2006. In 2013, Elodie Lauton supplemented her diverse educational qualifications with a CA (French state diploma) as a coordinator for contemporary music.

In addition to her actual career, which exerts considerable influence especially in the border triangle of France, Germany and Switzerland, she now teaches young singers in the categories Jazz, Pop and Rock at the Liestal Regional Music School in Switzerland and at the Académie des Arts Huningue in France. In addition, Elodie Lauton also dedicates herself passionately to the health and therapeutic aspects of singing and breathing.

Elodie Lauton (voc)

Stéphane Belmondo (tr)

Kirk Lightsey (p)

Tibor Elekes (cb)

Jorge Rossy (dr)

Additional Horns:

Jean-Claude André (tr)

Philippe Koerper (sax)

Andreas Tschopp (trb)

Priscille Blein (fl)

Günther Wehinger (fl)

Marc Bätscher (bcl)

1 Dis-moi pourquoi ? introduction  01:02

2 J?ai perdu ma jeunesse  05:55

3 Tout le jour, toute la nuit  05:46

4 Le vent m?a dit une chanson  06:21

5 Celui qui s?en va  06:27

6 J?ai rêvé cette nuit  05:19

7 Sombre dimanche  05:26

8 On ne lutte pas contre l?amour  05:56

9 Depuis que les bals sont fermés  05:02

10 Je voudrais que la nuit  03:40

11 Dis-moi pourquoi  04:02

Joe Haider Trio - Waltz for Ever (DOUBLE MOON RECORDS 2018)

Worth Listening to Again and Again!

If you did not know better, you would shake your head in disbelief: Joe Haider was actually born in 1936. In other words, he was born in Darmstadt three years before the outbreak of the Second World War. During that World War, he danced waltz with his mother – his father was busy elsewhere. Later, the pianist Haider, who became familiar with European music tradition at a conservatory and African-American jazz aesthetics thanks to working with countless US luminaries, composed waltzes for all his wives; he was married a total of three times. Now, he is continuing to “waltz further” into the end of time. At any rate, this is suggested by the title of his sixth trio album, Waltz For Ever, which oscillates between wisdom and power.

Haider, a Swiss national by choice, is accompanied on this wonderfully varied album by two Swiss jazz musicians, who were born in 1980 (Claudio Strüby) and 1982 respectively (Raffaele Bossard). Bassist Raffaele Bossard is already a longtime companion of Haider and has already recorded four albums alongside the pianist.

As a companion, Bossard acts at the same time solidly and with agility, and his improvisatory digressions are characterized by a wonderful balance of gravity and virtuosity. For Bossard, the bass is a bass and not an oversized guitar. Bossard is omnipresent on the Swiss scene; among others, he is active in the groups Pilgrim of saxophonist Christoph Irniger, Mats-Up of trumpeter Matthias Spillmann and Plurism of drummer Dominic Egli. This is the first recording with Haider for the very busy drummer Claudio Strüby. Strüby has become known in recent years through his work in the crossover trio Rusconi, but has also cooperated with “elder statesman” Andy Scherrer. Strüby’s supple, punchy playing style, full of surprising accents, fits optimally into a piano-trio context.

The majority of the pieces on Waltz For Ever were composed by Haider. When composing, Haider is initially inspired by people, situations and stories. However, composing craftsmanship is required when working out the pieces, for example, in the choice of keys or in the thematic fine tuning. Katy’s Katzenvilla actually existed, and Haider remembers vividly even today how one day two cats carried a whole sack of sausages from the dining table over a fence into a nearby forest. Haider is a gifted narrator of anecdotes. Much of his lovely storytelling can also be found in his piano playing. Haider does not want to amaze his listeners, but instead enchant them. If you ask Haider about pianists who have influenced him, he first mentions two rather unfamiliar names: Claude Williams and Dick Twardzik. He also mentions Dave Brubeck, Sonny Clark, Tommy Flanagan and Bill Evans. Then there was McCoy Tyner as later influence. Actually, Haider is a forgiving type, and yet he remains unforgiving on some points. Consequently, a question mark can be added to the title The Reconciliation, Haider said. In fact, it is not a love, peace and harmony piece, but a rather attacking number.

When selecting the three pieces from the “Great American Songbook”, Haider was guided by personal reminiscences. He learned to love the ballad Darn that Dream listening to a version by the blind Spanish pianist Tete Montoliu. Haider used to play the song Nature Boy, which was made famous by Nat King Cole, in duo performances with the trumpeter Charlie Shavers. And Ev’ry Time We Say Goodbye was on his wish list after hearing a touching version by Ray Charles. Of course, the fact that this piece with the lines Ev’ry Time We Say Goodbye /I die a little receives an additional dimension at Haider’s age goes without saying.

But for now, his motto is: Now more than ever!

Tom Gsteiger

Joe Haider, piano

Raffaele Bossard, bass

Claudio Strüby, drums

1 Waltz For Ever  06:19

2 Inspirations  05:19

3 Katys Katzenvilla  06:44

4 Nature Boy  04:12

5 Dance Of The Flames  06:43

6 Darn That Dream  07:00

7 The Reconciliation  04:43

8 Every Time We Say Goodbye  05:43

Joe Haider Jazz Orchestra & The Sparklettes - Back to the Roots (DOUBLE MOON RECORDS 2018)

Joe Haider is a cantankerous personality of the European jazz world. If our listen to him speak, you are confronted with deep Swabian dialect, but if you can hear him play, with a profound swing. This music and the associated feeling of dazzling freedom have accompanied him during his whole life, ever since the surprised boy was lifted by a GI onto a tank in the days after the end of WWII and was brought into contact with chocolate, music and the American way of life. Even if the modern, hard bop, blues and even a pinch of soul have influenced his style over the decades, the now 82-year-old pianist and Swiss national by choice from Darmstadt, who was active in Stuttgart and Munich for a long time, continues with his special blend of rhythmic presence and matter-of-factness rooted in tradition.

Consequently, it is fitting that Joe Haider returns to his roots with his new album "Back To The Roots", which he has never really forgotten. He does it with a mixture of nonchalance and sustainability, which already results from his choice of co-musicians. Because, he uses an orchestra with nine musicians on one hand, whose brass-centered members enable a wide variety of modern, jazzy tonal qualities. This scaling-up of the quartet sound makes it possible to create both big band associations as well as references to the typical sound ideas of small ensembles, which often characterize styles. The three saxophonists Daniel Blanc, Thomi Geiger and Domenic Landolf, who also play flute and clarinet in addition to their customary instruments, confront the trumpeter Dave Blaser, trombonist Rene Mosele and bass trombonist Lucas Wirz. All of them are trained in experimental projects in addition to traditional styles, which in turn benefits the intricacies of the arrangement. Besides Haider himself on the piano, the bass player Raffaele Bossard and drummer Dominic Egli round out the sound of the nonet.

The CD was recorded in Winterthur in September 2017. A vocal quartet also joined the instrumental ensemble in the studio. They were old acquaintances of the bandleader, because the singers Doris McVeigh, Isabelle Ritter, Nina Gutknecht and Xenia Zampieri had met in 1999 at the Swiss Jazz School in Bern where Haider had taught since the eighties and of which he is now also the director. An a cappella quartet was formed from the friendship, which has since performed with a wide-ranging repertoire in other countries too. Together with the Joe Haider Orchestra, the Sparklettes launch into a soul swinging sound, then again to a ballad-like iridescent program or one between modern harmonies and experimental expressiveness that leads to a lot of blues in the pedigree of Joe Henderson and Charlie Parker and all the way to Isla Eckinger and original compositions. In spite of the potential opulence arranged transparently, a typical Haider jazz cosmos develops over nine pieces, which has a good effect on the addition of the multiple vocal elements.

1 Back to the Roots  06:50

2 The Inner Ear  05:58

3 The Goal Stands at the Beginning  06:12

4 The Other Blues  09:17

5 Ko Ko  06:37

6 If I Was A Little Bird  07:37

7 The Shade of Jade  06:43

8 She Was Looking at the Moon  10:16

9 Movin' Out Now  07:34

Joe Haider Jazz Orchestra

Joe Haider - Piano

Daniel Blanc - Flute

Thomi Geiger - Saxophone

Domenic Landolf - Saxophone

Dave Blaser - Trumpet

Rene Mosele - Trombone

Lucas Wirtz - Tuba

Raffaele Bossard - Bass

Dominic Egli - Drums

The Sparklettes

BuJazzO - Verley Uns Frieden (DOUBLE MOON RECORDS 2017)

VERLEY UNS FRIEDEN - BuJazzO

Martin Luther's Chorales and Texts for jazz orchestra and vocal ensemble

Martin Luther's thesis in 1517 was the beginning of the Reformation - An event which has a world-historical significance in its impact on politics, religion, culture and society. In 2017 the Reformation Jubilee is celebrated nationwide with a variety of events. The BuJazzO is also participating in this 500th anniversary.

VERLEY UNS FRIEDEN - this Latin choral in the arrangement of Martin Luther serves as the title of a commission composition, composed by Michael Villmow for the BuJazzO and a vocal ensemble. 

The focus is on the setting and interpretation of selected Luther texts and chorales.The 10-piece vocal ensemble of the BuJazzO is an integral part of this program. As an artistic director, a personality has been found who has both experience in the composition, arrangement and direction of a big band, as well as in the field of composition and arrangement of church music, in order to create something new and unique for the Luther Jubilee year. Villmow, himself a saxophonist, has the right mixture of education and many years of experience in composing and directing choirs and big bands.

"The work VERLEY UNS FRIEDEN will reflect respect for the strength, courage and spirituality of Martin Luther and the Reformation, but also before the musical tradition. However, this will be done from today's musical and personal perspective, in the sense of Luther's and jazz! With space for individuality, creativity and individual, also freaky ideas of the soloists - supported by the community of the ensemble and the overall sound, "says Michael Villmow.


In the process of rehearsing, renowned teachers support young musicians: Rob Bruynen (tp), Tobias Wember (tb), Matthias Erlewein (sax), Hanno Busch (git, rhythm), Hans-Kristian Kjos Sørensen.

1 Ich bin kein Besessener  07:54

2 Sola Gratia  09:31

3 Tok Tok Tok  04:56

4 Hier stehe ich!  07:10

5 Jimi's Castle  03:06

6 Aus tiefer Not  14:37

7 Ein feste Burg  08:17

8 Verley uns Frieden  05:05

Shannon Barnett Quartet - Hype (DOUBLE MOON RECORDS 2017)

Since moving to Germany, Shannon Barnett has become very active in the local scene. Her quartet, featuring Stefan Karl Schmid (tenor saxophone), David Helm (bass) and Fabian Arends (drums) was nominated as a seim-finalist in the 2017 Neuer Deutscher Jazzpreis. They have performed widely in Germany, including at the Acht Brücken and Winterjazz Festivals, the Peng Festival and IG Jazz in Mannheim. In 2016, they toured Australia, performing at the Wangaratta Festival of Jazz and Sydney Women's Jazz Festival. This is the quartet's debut album!

Shannon Barnett Quartet - Hype

Lembing:
The influences of harmolodic improvisers such as Ornette Coleman and Don Cherry are evident in this composition. The three melodic sections share similar beginnings, but drift off into other territories, allowing the soloist to explore different environments, finally finishing with a solemn Latin-music-inspired resolution.

People Donʼt Listen to Music Anymore:
As with many of the melodies from her compositions, this tune is rhythmically based on the title. It was inspired by the overwhelming amount of publicity and marketing one can find on the internet about various musical projects and how sometimes because of this, the essence of the music can be diluted. After a haunting ballad-like section, the piece morphs through a free improvisation and then takes a turn towards a melancholy chorale, before surprising the listener with what could best be described as a good old-fashioned hoe down, featuring Barnettʼs blazing trombone on the top.

Red-Bellied Stickleback: 
Composed during Barnettʼs short stay in Banff, Canada, this piece is inspired by a desire to break away from the traditional roles in the quartet. The trombone begins with a guitar- like riff, that underpins the polyphonic texture that follows. The Red-Bellied Stickleback itself is a type of fish with interesting behavioural features.

Speaking in Tongues:
Again based on a short rhythmic pattern, the middle section of this piece was composed first, borrowing from an episode of the animated television series ʻFamily Guyʼ, in which the main character pretends to be able to speak Italian. After the complex introduction, the soloists are allowed some freedom in a swinging, sometimes bluesy open section, a window into Barnettʼs previous experiences playing swing and early jazz.

PG3:
Composed in honour of the Australian pianist Paul Grabowksky, PG3 is a soulful 6/8 ballad, that displays Schmid and Barnettʼs compelling interactions and conversations, as well as their stunning ability to deliver unison passages as if they were only one instrument.

Ok Compupid: 
Inspired by the Australian musician Thai Matus, Ok Compupid weaves and jumps through various time signatures, before landing on a rapid, pulsating groove that showcases Schmidʼs technical prowess and ability to develop an interesting story from only a simple starting point.

Chasing the Second:
Again displaying Barnettʼs love for various styles outside of the jazz realm, this piece features a reggae section (originally inspired by the music of the Art Ensemble of Chicago), over which her lazy trombone hangs, almost jokingly commenting over the subtle yet hypnotising support from Helm and Arends.

Between the solo sections we are treated to fast-paced intricate unison sections, deftly delivered by the entire quartet.

The Spirit is Willing, but the Flesh is Weak:
This composition begins with a lilting unison melody from Schmid and Barnett, accompanied gently by Arendʼs delicate cymbals and Helmʼs warm bass sound. The bassist leads the quartet out of the melodic section and into an expansive, tranquil bass solo, before combining with Arends to construct a burning fast swing foundation, which Schmid and Barnett contrast with a transcendent pentatonic unison.

The piece is reiminiscent of and inspired by the late works of John Coltrane and other jazz musicians who sought a spiritual connection through their music.

Pol Belardi's Force - Creation / Evolution (DOUBLE MOON RECORDS 2017)

Luxembourg has no longer been a tax haven for the nouveau rich or a dwarf state for quite some time. The President of the European Commission is currently from the Grand Duchy with its only 115,000 citizens and also has one of the most vital jazz scenes in Europe.

The multi-instrumentalist Pol Belardi plays a major role in this and also attracts international attention to the amazingly creative biotope that has developed there in the triangle between Germany, FRance and Belgium over the past 15 years. Belardi is representative of his fellow countrymen without any musical blinkers and his curious interest in all styles and influences, with which he was more or less predestined to see beyond his own horizon.

The fact that the 17 year-old electric bass player, who can also play piano, vibraphone and drums, also applies this attitude to jazz helps this genre to develop a fresh, modern, international and future-oriented perspective, especially in times of increasing self-confinement and withdrawing into a shell. Actually Pol Belardi, David Fettman, Jérôme Klein and Niels Engel should in no way produce a jazz album in the classic sense given their seemingly diametric interests.

The four advance with such wide-open ears through the world that you could expect all sorts of things. Their listening interest starts at the most with classic jazz, but extends to classical music and has at least elements of pop, rock, hip hop and electronic music on an equal basis. However, the fact that 'Creation/Evolution is so close to experimental, modern jazz is still surprising. The pieces are charged in a concentrated manner, supposedly quiet and not at all extroverted on a subliminal, tingling level that breatehs the great psirit of jazz through every note with its improvisational daring.

The typical Luxembourg cosmopolitanism outlook characterizes the ten characteristic original pieces, which Belardi naturally also adapts to his complex arrangements. Scents of the great composers of classical music shine through as well as the lyrical touch of a singer-songwriter, the groove of funk, the infectious virus of catchy pop hits and the xperimental breadth of experiemental avant-garde and create a delightful contrast in every respect. 

As guests, the guitarist Riaz Khabirpour and the Kaiser Quartet juggling with elegant virtuosity between late romanticism and contemporary music refine the colorful range of sounds. And the best thing is: a whole range of presentation options exist life for the new program, either with the Kaiser string players, the guitarist Khabirpour of just pure Force.

1 Prayer  04:07

2 Evolver  06:13

3 Plankton  10:27

4 The Secret Lives of Deep Sea Creatures  04:52

5 Snow  04:57

6 A Cold Night during a Warm Summer  07:00

7 Toothgrinder  05:25

8 Convergence a.k.a. Tri(e)ste  05:27

9 Circles  04:56

10 Natural Selection  07:24

Pol Belardi's Force with Riaz Khabirpour and Kaiser Quartett

David Fettmann - saxophone

Jerome Klein - piano

Niels Engel - drums

Pol Belardi - bass, compositions, vibes

Riaz Khabirpour - guitar

Kaiser Quartett - string quartet

http://www.polbelardi.com

http://www.doublemoon.de

http://kaiser-quartett.com

http://www.newartsagency.com