Russell/Völker/Werchowski
Three Planets
Emanem 4106
Beetlegeuse! Beetlegeuse! Beetlegeuse! Collective improvisation as refreshing as Weihenstephaner in the stifling September heat, the prolific Martin Davidson offers this bundling of guitarist John Russell, accordionist Ute Völker and violinist Mathieu Werchowski recorded in November of 2003 at the home of the Emanem producer. Breaking my maiden with the latter two musicians, I must concede that a soft spot exists for the guitarist, who uncharacteristically flourishes machete at his instrument through much of the performance, rarely hinging things upon trademark chordal brooming and/or more conventional right-handed attack.
Eerie tonal compliances witnessed best in 'Little Litotes Blues' and the moving, quite melodic 'Zum Dreispiel' glue together a hearty volume of just under eighty minutes. At the initial minute mark of said “blues,” one can even discern that archetypal Vicksburg vamp. What of Russell that attracts me is his select proclivity toward a zone wherein I automatically superimpose some Western folk pattern, cicadas behind Robt. Pete Williams and Richie Havens' plectrum.
The French violinist's long, singular lines change the color of things while he often remains concurrently atop the trio--the sun trying to sneak past the rooster, Völker billowing and sinking to the floor, toying with the listener’s notions of fore and aft. Werchowski’s is a very different approach aligned with current stringéd kin, more furtive and compacted. At instances he locks up with the lungs of the accordion in deference to Russell; black leather clad deviants breathing heavily in a big room with maroon walls.
To this music’s credit, the accordion is often courted and played around. Ute’s quavers recall the nether register of Dolphy’s bass clarinet beneath the introduction to ‘Spritual’ at the Vanguard and by turns some old, haunting church organ. Doubtless inspired by the time of year/listening conditions, Three Planets indicates climactic anomaly, a portent of autumn's dryness and thick sweatshirts. Each are aware of their destination and each cognizant of the rocky path ahead. Exactly how these three maintain such an even weight throughout is puzzling and attractive in itself. . . like a Shriners motorcade or a well balanced midfield, continually having to weave around the other, swinging back with intense patience until the time to charge is certain. I am reminded of the burgeoning queue to Tonic’s bar in a panic after Rowe and Fennesz performed respectively, minutes prior to their collaboration: befuddled, astonished people asking one another “How can this work?” “How will they possibly be able to pull back from one another?”
This is ribald parlour music, woodcut allegorical. . .worthy of your time and grip. The cover art is excruciating and the titles Flecktone kitsch (‘Pachyderm’s Canon’?) but I am glad to have met this violin and accordion and hope this trio continues to record.
~Michael Schaumann
Posted by schaumann on August 23, 2004 9:18 PMHerr Schaumann's back & with a vengeance... praises be!
Posted by: derek at August 24, 2004 4:35 AMDunno about the music, but you're spot on about the Weihenstephaner. Yummmmmmmmm.
Posted by: Nirav at August 24, 2004 7:29 AMDunno about the beetle juice, but you're spot on about the album. Werchowski is a major hero of mine. Got the Corpus Hermeticum trio with Noetinger & Marchetti, Michael (anyone)? Wonderful.
Posted by: dan warburton at August 24, 2004 8:58 AMJust got the album from Davidson and must say that i am a bit dissapointed. For sure Russell is in great form there and violin stands out, but mayor dissapointed is for me Ute's accordion. And there are quite a few very good accordion improvisors out there with better results of it's use in spontaneous sound creations ...
all best Z
Posted by: lukaz at August 24, 2004 1:33 PMDisagree widja there, Luka - Ute sounds to me to be on smoking form. Yep, funny I'm not a big accordion fan when it comes to folky / musette stuff but I don't mind it in improv. Who are you thinking of as players? Offhand I can think of 3 more that I like: Costa Monteiro (excellent solo Rumeur on Creative Sources), Fred Van Hove and Pauline Oliveros - but tell us about some more! (On a personal note did you get the photo ok? D)
Posted by: dan warburton at August 24, 2004 9:47 PMYes i got the photo and it is Ok- as for accordion players with the ones you have mentioned i would suggest also Luca Venitucci (know for his electronic work in Ossatura, but a fine accordion improvisor- and this is not meant to be any sort of advertisment on upcomming release of him w Renkel on L'innomable). Interesting playing (althou more concerned with composition than improv lately is Accordion Tribe). One of the members is also slovene ''national treasure''- accordion player Bratko Bibic, founder of cult group BEGNAGRAD, in past has played w NIMAL (along Tom Cora, ...) and now holds his own group Bratko Bibic & The Madleys (two cds out ...). He's also a very fine improvisors unfortunately largely undocumented in such fashion ...
Posted by: lukaz at August 25, 2004 9:48 AMI once played a gig at Instants Chavirés with Léa Bacchetta on accordion, a funny real amateur violin player called Jacques Colin and myself on A100 analog synth. I have such a nice 'souvenir' about this concert. Léa was a really good accordion player, really young woman... sorry off topic!
isnt andrea parkins accordion player, does she really do improv stuff though?
Posted by: alexandre at August 26, 2004 1:27 PMDon't youse guys like Rudiger Carl?!
Posted by: walto at August 27, 2004 7:52 AMOh yeah, forgot RC. Don't have much, to be honest!
Posted by: dan warburton at August 27, 2004 8:15 AMI dig the RC I’ve heard, but I’ve heard more of his reeds than squeezebox (he’s all over that NIGHT & DAY box w/ Schlippenbach). Admittedly, everytime I read his name my first impulse is to think it’s reversed as with a phone book entry. How ‘bout Guy Klucevsek? Don’t know his stuff outside the Dave Douglas orbit.
Posted by: derek at August 27, 2004 9:01 AMKlucevsek's the man. Many fine discs from "Scenes from a Mirage" through the "!Who Stole the Polka!" series through the first few on Tzadik. Wonderful musician.
I love the accordion, though, from traditional through Costa Monteiro.
Posted by: Brian at August 27, 2004 1:14 PMI’ll have to check those out, Brian. Not to steer the discussion even farther afield, but does your love encompass Conjunto accordion? Zydeco?
Posted by: derek at August 27, 2004 2:06 PMAnd Amy Denio does some beautiful accordian/voice beating-pattern stuff.
Posted by: John Foster at August 28, 2004 8:18 AMAnd Amy Denio does some beautiful accordian/voice beating-pattern stuff.
Posted by: John Foster at August 28, 2004 8:18 AMIf you get the chance to get hold to an LP of BERGISCH BRANDENBURGISCHES QUARTETT from 1982 released by east german label AMIGA JAZZ, you'll heard some witty accordion playing by Rudiger Carl in company w Hans Reichel, Sven-Ake Johansson and Ernst-Ludwig Petrowsky. Probably is hard to get one (i got it in Budapest in one record shop totally devoted to dance orientated electronica, but their second hand lp section was full of great releases from Amiga Jazz and FMP ...)
all best ...
Posted by: lukaz at August 28, 2004 12:09 PMDerek, though I've heard (and generally enjoyed) conjunto and zydeco over the years, those are two of several thousand genres I've never gotten around to really exploring. otoh, I love Madagascaran accordion....
btw, I thought Teodoro Anzellotti did a amazingly fine job on his album of Satie pieces, doing very straightforward transcriptions and capturing Satie's beauty almost as well as any pianist short of Ciccolini.
Back to accordion- I just saw world premmier of documentary called ''Accordion Tribe''. It follows Accordion Tribe- five accordion players and composers from different part of the world on their tour- austrian Otto Lechner, american Guy Klucevsek, finnish Maria Kalaniemi, swedish Lars Hollmer and slovenian Bratko Bibic. A film by swiss director Stefan Schwietert is once funny, lucid and provocative story of accordion used in different context and will for sure change the perception of accordion as the voice of polka. Quite contrary- to borrow Klucevsek's title of one of his recordings- after seeing the movie many will ask themselves ''Who Stole The Polka?'' ...
(on record from 1991 Klucevsek reinterprets compositions by Elliott Sharp, Louis V. Vierk, Carl Stone, Phillip Johnson and Fred Frith among others)
Go see it if there is a chance
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