Slightly out of step with their European peers since inception, the Schlippenbach Trio’s fondness for the American jazz canon is persistent and well publicized. This new travelogue of two winter tours hammers that point home once again, in both musical and visual terms. An essay authored by the pianist himself humorously recounts the banal particulars of the many kilometers commuted by car (upwards of 6000). An accompanying slideshow of photos contains several conspicuous representatives of the road trip listening library, among them Freddie Redd’s The Connection and Sonny Rollins Live in London, Vol. 1, sources of inspiration that might be hard to conjecture cold but make perfect sense when revealed. The music is every bit as good as you might expect, divided into two long slabs from a pair of Cologne concert and preserved in exceptional sound.
At this point in the trio’s career, the onset of certain predictability would seem forgivable. Fortunately, they’re still in the practice of plying surprise. Parker varies the playing field by scaling back solely to tenor. The slant means that his customary circular breathing spotlight (heard two-thirds into the first piece) is channeled through the larger horn rather than the more common soprano receptacle. While not as saturated in scurrying split tones and mainly resigned to the instrument’s upper register it still makes for a galvanizing upending of expectations. Also deviating from past paths in this context is his duet passage with Schlippenbach that takes shape during the shorter second piece. Parker incongruously brings to mind Stan Getz in his porous phrasing and the mannered melodic interplay works as direct corollary to his earlier Psi projects with pianist Stan Tracey. As the requisite unassuming member of the outfit, Lovens is his usual dynamic, telepathic self, moving from metallic roar to whisper behind his “selected” kit of drums and cymbals and engaging Schlippenbach in several swiftly dancing duels that find each trying to out-percuss the other. The only minor miscues come with a preface of sparse reverberating pedal dampened tones on the second piece and a terse fade at the close. The former is an earnest detour that drags on a bit too long and pales in comparison to the provocative action that comes after.
These three players are well-established experts at long-form improvisation. They remain at the respective peaks of their powers. Some may view this latest release as too akin to past projects. Listen closely and the differences reveal themselves. True, the tools are the same, but the details in the grand edifices erected are not.
~ Derek Taylor
Posted by derek on November 30, 2006 7:26 AMI am at 11:33 of track one and they have already just played enough brilliant shit for any 5 average improvised music cds.
They really have it with his combination. Always the same, always new.
Jeepers, I only got this one in the mail two days ago.... you work fast! It's a very fine disc.
Posted by: ND at November 30, 2006 11:28 AMI am at 11:33 of track one and they have already just played enough brilliant shit for any 5 average improvised music cds.
I didn't know you thought there were any such things, Damon. Why I bet you can't name one improvised music cd that you believe isn't above average! :>}
This one is *definitely* "above average".
Posted by: derek at December 1, 2006 7:00 AMI don't know how many times you manage to listen to things before reviewing them, Derek (I'm struggling to manage 4x these days), but I've just played this now for the first time and there's no way I could say it's definitely above average on the strength of just one listen. Solid as ever, but I need to spend much more time with it.
Meanwhile "I bet [Damon] can't name one improvised music cd that you believe isn't above average! :>}"
Oh, I'm sure he can.. does Charlie Haden count as improvised music? Haw haw.
Meanwhile kids, talking of Damon, watch out for his forthcoming work on Weasel Walter's new quartet album. Which is my totally unfuckinsubtle way of telling you to go to
http://www.paristransatlantic.com/magazine/interviews/weasel.html
"I didn't know you thought there were any such things, Damon. Why I bet you can't name one improvised music cd that you believe isn't above average! :>}"
-There are plenty below averge improv cds. Being a musician and not a critic, I try to mostly talk about the recordings I like on here. Obviously there have been certain things (see the Zorn thread) I just couldn't hold my tongue about.
I think The Schlippenbach Trio makes most improvised music seem average.
Part of it is them stepping in the right puddle, and sticking with it for 34+ years - "Pakastani Pomade" was made the year I was born.
Arrived about a week ago & I’ve given it three complete spins & a couple of partials since. I’d agree, it’s no drastic departure from their past work & say as much above, but echoing Damon, I consider pretty much the entire output by this ensemble as “above average” in the context of improv writ large. This one sustains the winning streak. Give it a couple more tries & see if you don’t agree.
Posted by: derek at December 1, 2006 10:04 AMGee, for once I agree with everybody. This trio -- and the quartet edition, with Kowald -- has never disappointed; always well "above average."
Posted by: djll at December 2, 2006 12:30 AMCome off it, Dan. 90% of today's improvisers can't hold a candle to these three guys. Their depth of knowledge is too great. Likewise, the new Parker / Guy / Lytton "Zafiro" on Maya - a live concert from Barcelona 25th March 2006.
Posted by: Graham L. Rogers at December 2, 2006 3:03 AMI saw the trio yesterday, live in Tilburg, The Netherlands. Probably on of my top-10 concert experiences ever. And I've seen lots of music the last 20 years. I saw the trio a couple of other times, as well as in other combinations, but damn, yesterday. Pure magic. I think there was about 25 people attending. I'm still in a kind of shock by the sheer mastership I witnessed.
Posted by: schicksal at December 2, 2006 12:30 PM"Come off it, Dan. 90% of today's improvisers can't hold a candle to these three guys."
I wasn't aware that I had made any kind of comparison between 'today's improvisers' and 'these three guys'.. did I? I was merely noting that I'd have to listen to it a lot more before attempting to review it. But in any case I take issue with your '90% of..' sentence, Graham. I could name quite a few albums by younger improvisers that I find just as exciting and impressive as these two trios. It would be quite a long list.
I think a good part of this group is the luck of finding that it worked so early and that there are still things to refine this far along. Obviously all three are top notch but this trio goes beyond their individual greatness.
It still has a lot to do with making that comitment early on.
OK, Dan, so let's see this list of yours. But on one simple understanding. That any disc on your list, which you have received as a freebie, you will in turn send me a copy thereof, also as a freebie. Then we'll both know if we put our money where are mouths are. N'est-ce pas?
I'd like to see Dan's list without any such "understanding" about handouts as Graham wants to require.
But, if he has to get something in order for this list to appear, how about Dan gives his list and I send Graham discs I don't like instead? I'll make the same offer regarding Damon's list of below average improv. Either way, bag readers will get lists Graham will get freebies and I'll get rid of stuff.
Posted by: walto at December 3, 2006 4:36 AMIf I found out one of my friends I'd sent copies of my music to was singing my praises online and at the same time making pirate copies of my work to send to somebody else, thereby depriving me of revenue, I wouldn't be all that happy. Neither would the people who run the labels that the work appears on, many of whom contribute to this site. So if I name the albums here you can either take my word for it and go buy them or curse me in private and go on believing everything was better in 1967. Personally I don't subscribe to that "good old days" thing.. if I did I'd write for MOJO. It reminds me of the Monty Python Yorkshireman sketch.
Posted by: Dan Warburton at December 3, 2006 5:05 AMWalto: If you'd like, email me privately with what you'd like to get rid of. I might perhaps be interested!
Dan: You obviously weren't listening in 1967. But where do you put your own money???
Presumably this is some kind of sneaky way to get me to provide a 2006 Top Ten (I'm flattered), having refused invitations from several people to do so, but what the hell. Paul Flaherty & Chris Corsano's The Beloved Music on Family Vineyard, the Keith Rowe / Toshi Nakamura double Between on Erstwhile and the Christof Kurzmann / Ami Yoshida duo Aso on the same label, the two trio outings on Musica Genera – Trace Cuts (Otomo / eRikm / Tetreault) and Sze cin (Lehn, Grydeland, Zach) – the Sei Miguel Tone Gardens and Wade Matthews / Ingar Zach Morke-Lys on Creative Sources, Paul Hubweber & Philip Zoubek Nobody's Matter But Our Own (Nurnichtnur), Otomo's ONJQ Live in Lisbon on Clean Feed, the nmperign / Lescalleet double on Intransitive, John Butcher's duo with Kurzmann on Potlatch, Kyle Bruckmann's Wrack (maybe excluded because too composed? never mind I'll take the risk), Malcolm Goldstein / Masashi Harada Soil (Emanem), Michael Thieke's Unununium on Charhizma, Efzeg's Krom (hatOLOGY). If I may be allowed to dip back into 2005, I'd also say the Rova's Electric Ascension is easily as impressive for me as any 60s classic – Manfred Schoof, Globe Unity, Machine Gun and even Ascension itself. But then again if I believed that nothing could ever surpass the masterpieces of yesteryear, which "posterity" has placed on impossibly high pedestals, I would stop doing what I'm doing altogether.
Posted by: Dan Warburton at December 3, 2006 5:38 AMThanks for your list, Dan. ("Sneaky"?? Not at all. You volunteered to offer us your own list, see above). You have some interesting selections indeed.
"Impossibly high pedestals"? That's what we expect musicians to aim for. They're not impossible however, they're just high standards. We listeners have a right to expect nothing less.
Posted by: Graham L. Rogers at December 3, 2006 8:45 AMAmoeba gives 75% in store credit for anything you buy there, that is where most below average improv goes - right back to where I got it. I may keep a disc around if it has good bass playing or some other reedeming quality like tuba.
Posted by: Damon Smith at December 3, 2006 9:31 AMwhat is that trace cuts album like dan. three turntable improv? how does it flow?
j
It's the most enjoyable turntable trio thing I've heard for a while. And it flows very well, which I'd probably put down to eRikm (who's always given me the impression that a fair amount of pre-show planning goes into his work). Of course you can never be sure exactly who's doing what, esp with a wild card like Tetreault in the pack, but I think it really swings. Of course, I have no idea how you're supposed to compare it to the Schlippenbach trio, which was the original idea.. Talking of which, I started out last night with the noble intention of listening to Winterreise again, but ended up spinning Joe Henderson's Inner Urge, Helen Merrill & Gil Evans, Feldman's The Viola In My Life and Why Patterns instead.
Anyway, back to Evan P for a minute: Graham, I take it you have the latest Free Zone Appleby?
Indeed I do Dan.
Posted by: Graham L. Rogers at December 3, 2006 10:34 PMDamon: Does Amoeba do that for international mail order customers, or just for customers physically in the shop??
Posted by: Graham L. Rogers at December 4, 2006 3:27 AMbut ended up spinning Joe Henderson's Inner Urge
Definitely a fave of mine, followed closely by In Japan w/ that kooky Nipponese pick-up band.
Posted by: narew ramsh at December 4, 2006 5:56 AM"Damon: Does Amoeba do that for international mail order customers, or just for customers physically in the shop??"
- I don't think they take orders. Speaking of long term improvisor collaborations, Joëlle (she is a teaching at Mills this semester) just brought Maggie Nichols here for two amazing concerts, one trio with George Lewis and one with Phillip Greenlief. They were both incredible, even the theatrics were focused. I got that Mitchell/Abrams/Lewis cd which is pretty great.
Posted by: Damon Smith at December 4, 2006 10:07 AMSaw the trio at the beginning of the month, on the same tour as schicksal, in Brugge and a year ago on the tour that produced Winterreise. Probably preferred the earlier concert, but definitely impressive.
Posted by: mwanji at December 12, 2006 1:19 PManyone here got any thoughts on Schlippenbach's 'Versuvius' (with Dunmall, Rogers, Bianco)?
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