This Side Up (Intakt CD 159) bringt ein Wiederhören mit OBJETS TROUVÉS, dem Quartett der Pianistin Gabriela Friedli mit der Alt- & Sopransaxophonistin Co Streiff, Jan Schlegel am Bass und Dieter Ulrich an den Drums. Der Name führt leicht in die Irre, denn es wird nicht Gefundenes mit anderen Augen gesehen, vielmehr gezielt gesucht und mit Bedacht entworfen. 5 Stücke hat sich Friedli ausgedacht, ‚Gwindel‘ stammt von Schlegel, durchwegs sind es Streunereien in der Grauzone zwischen weicher und fixer Form. Für Laienohren ist der Übergang zwischen Vorgaben und Zutaten ununterscheidbar, vielleicht auch egal. Was zählt, ist die Überzeugungskraft der tänzerischen oder nachdenklichen Momente an sich. Choreographisch komplexe Schrittfolgen und ungenierter Swing wechseln mit träumerisch schwebenden, schöner noch, viele Gesten wirken wie immer wieder mitten in der Bewegung suspendiert, durch einen Atemzug, einen Nebengedanken verzögert oder durch einen zusätzlichen Haken oder Taktwechsel geknickt. Ein klassischer Fall von Schweizer Sophistication also, ähnlich Day & Taxi, dem Co Streiff Sextet, Billiger Bauer. Auffallend ist, wie sorgsam, wie entschlackt Friedli ihre Noten streut, wie fragil Ulrich tickt, klickt und tackt, wie souverän Streiff von Skalpell zu Tupfer wechselt. Noch seltsamer ist, dass Schlegel E-Bass spielt, ohne jeden Hauch von Fusion. Heute, wo selbst Automaten oder wer auch nur bis 3 zählen kann, als intelligent gelten, wirkt dieser NowJazz freiweg hochbegabt.
Rigobert Dittmann, Bad Alchemy Nr. 62, Deutschland, 2009

Martin Schuster, Concerto, Österreich, Juni/Juli 2009

Ein frischer, luftiger, mit vielen kleinen Facetten versehener Jazz wird von diesem Quartett aus Zürich kultiviert. Die Ursache dafür mag in dem Umstand zu finden sein, dass sämtliche Kompositionen (bis auf eine von Jan Schlegel) auf „this side up“ aus der Feder der Pianistin Gabriela Friedli stammen. Die spielt auch ganz prächtig ausdruckslustig; von perlend über sprunghaft bis reduziert. Einschub: Dass ihre österreichische Instrumentalkollegin Katharina Klement (siehe weiter unten) eine Platte „objets trouvés“ nannte, entspricht allerdings einem lupenreinen Zufall. Christian Rentsch verallgemeinert in den liner notes den Titel überhaupt auf eine Pauschalerfindung der alten Dadaisten. Verglichen damit, wird in dieser Jazzcombo natürlich keineswegs das Rad oder sonst etwas Nützliches neu erfunden. Es handelt sich schlicht und einfach um einen gut eingespielten Klangkörper (das ist erst die 2. Platte in mehr als zehn Jahren Zusammenarbeit), der sich nach Belieben episch ausdehnt und zu erheblicher Dichte bündelt. Co Streiff ist ja hierzulande eine „alte“ Bekannte, Gabriela Friedli gäbe es eventuell noch zu entdecken.
(felix), Freistil, Österreich, Juni 2009

It's only right that this group didn't come together under the name of one of its members as this is cooperative music of an order that's still only too rare. This is Objets Trouves' second title for Intakt, indicating that the label seems intent on a long-term relationship with them. If so this is a good thing as their music is shot through with a shared method of communication that makes no modest case for the positive aspects of the human spirit.
Hyperbole that might be but, when the music comes together in the manner that it does on "mehr Rosinen," it's justified. The electric bass guitar is clearly the instrument necessary to accommodate Schlegel's extended instrumental vocabulary, and here he sounds like a man intent on subverting, say, Jaco Pastorius's virtuosic bluster; strings are damped to the point at which they sound percussive, and his tricky unison flourishes with Streiff on alto sax are a joy.
Streiff too has her own thing going on. The tartness of her soprano sax tone isn't leavened in any way by Lee Konitz's liquidity, for example, and "En Gedi" gives her the opportunity to put out her own brand of lyricism. This piece is also testament to how attuned to the group's dynamics Friedli the composer is. Her piano too is something else, both here and elsewhere. Owing no great debt of stylistic allegiance has always been as good a means as any of stating the case for one's individuality and she reconciles great delicacy with subtle wit in a manner that many can perhaps only dream of.
She can get percussive too, after the manner of Herbie Nichols but with a notably different aesthetic underscoring. The duo of her and drummer Dieter Ulrich which makes up the very first moments of "Salz in kleinen Dingen-Objets" acts almost as a kind of facile preamble to the group's talents, but that perhaps negative impression is transformed when Schlegel comes in and the three musicians undermine the idea that the piano trio can be a context only for sterile technical display.
The offbeat intervals of the first moments of "Guscht" are entirely at odds with what follows, but in this case the discontinuity is but an element in a greater whole. The mood is reflective, at times, while at others the music embraces something as close to the mainstream as it gets in this context. The ambivalent attitude towards "the tradition" this implies is marked by a sense of humor too, something which is always welcome.
Nic Jones, www.allaboutjazz.com, USA, June 23, 2009

Bak dette noe spesielle bandnavnet, som vel betyr noe sånt som funne gjenstander, finner vi pianisten, bandlederen og hovedkomponisten Gabriela Friedli, elbassisten Jan Schlegel, alt- og sopransaksofonisten Co Streiff og trommeslageren Dieter Ulrich. Jeg tror ikke det blir mange hender i været i kongeriket hvis befolkninga blir bedt om respons på om de kjenner noen av disse musikantene.
Alle fire tilhører toppen av jazzkransekaka i Sveits og har tilhold i Zürich. De har jobba i en rekke konstellasjoner, men Objets Trouvés har vært et viktig kollektiv for alle fire i rundt 10 år og «This Side Up» er bandets andre cd.
Friedli og de andre, som alle befinner seg i midten av 40-åra, er tiltrukket av åpen og løs musikk med intrikate taktarter. Noen ganger er det svært melodiøse og vakre toneganger vi blir utsatt for – andre ganger er det mer søkende og fabulerende ekskursjoner vi blir invitert med på.
Musikken og musikantene er av den typen som gjerne åpner for samtaler og det er åpenbart at det er fire gode og utfordrende venner vi møter.
Objets Trouvés byr på et sjeldent musikalsk møte med sjeldne musikalske gjester. Det har avgjort vært et møte som frister til gjenhør.
Tor Hammerø, Side2, Norway, June 30, 2009

Christof Thurnherr, Jazz n' More, Schweiz, Juli/August 2009

I am only familiar with the members of this fine Swiss quartet from discs on the Intakt label. Saxist, Co Streiff has three other discs on Intakt in duo with Irene Schweizer plus Co's great sextet. Ms. Friedli also has a duo disc with Priska Walss. Drummer Dieter Ulrich has played with Christopher Gallio in Day & Taxi while Ulrich, Schlegel & Friedli have all played with Intakt saxist Omri Ziegele.
Ms. Friedli composed all but one of the pieces on this disc with "Gwindel" written by Mr. Schlegel. "Salz in Kleinen Dingen - Objets" starts things off with an infectious Monk-like melody that me smiling instantly. Electric bassist, Jan Schlegel, has a great fretless sound and plays with the drummer exquisitely throughout. Co Streiff, whose three discs on Intakt are equally superb also shines here whether playing alto or soprano saxes. What stands out the most is the strong writing from Ms. Friedli with each piece both enchanting and engaging in different ways. I like the way some of these pieces are skeletal yet inventive at the same time. Sometimes the rhythm team will speed up or slow down yet piano and sax solos are often streamlined, knowing just when to increase the pulse or tension and when not to. Even when Co solos, Gabriela takes her time to add just a few colors underneath, occasionally when Gabriela erupts we are surprised by the results. Considering that this disc is on Intakt, there is nothing "free" or unnecessarily difficult about this music. It remains endlessly inventive and infectious in the way it moves, glides and even swings at times. A delightful treasure that shouldn't be overlooked.
Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery, USA, July 2009

This is only the second album by Friedl’s Zurich-based quartet in the 10 years of its existence, but it’s good enough to lead me to hope it won’t be such a long wait for its third. The group’s name actually tells you less about its approach to music-making than you might think: the quartet has been concentrating on the relationship between composition and improvisation and has a particular interest in the interaction between rhythm and melodic shapes. None of this prevents the members of the band (who have worked extensively with some of the most adventurous Swiss composers and improvisers, including Irene Schweizer) from producing exciting, freewheeling solos to leaven the intriguing ensembles.
Barry Witherden, Jazz Journal, UK, September 2009

The Wire, UK, October 2009

Un'improvvisazione in cui ritornano echi del free (quello tedesco oltre che quello statunitense), parti scritte molto articolate e un senso della battuta sempre molto presente, molto efficace, sottolineato da ardite costruzioni in tempi dispari. Su queste basi This Side Up trova il valore di una propria originalità, forse non stupefacente, ma comunque ricercata.
Ecco la sintesi estrema del secondo CD in dieci anni del quartetto di Zurigo Objets Trouvés (l'altro era Fragile del 2005), un gruppo che riunisce musicisti non certo di primo pelo, che hanno alle spalle esperienze pluridecennali con Irène Schweizer e Urs Blöchlinger.
Nessuno passa inosservato in questa formazione, a partire dalla pianista Gabriela Friedli che ricorda talvolta Cecil Taylor e in altre Paul Bley. Co Streiff riesce ad aprire squarci improvvisativi vibranti col suo sax, in bilico tra Ornette e certe pagine più ardite di Jackie McLean. Notevole anche il batterista Dieter Ulrich che non perde mai di vista il ruolo di ancora della formazione e che nel brano iniziale riesce a combinare improvvisazione, libertà e senso del tempo in modo eccellente. La sua visione dei brani, apparentemente molto lungimirante anche nel corso delle più ardimentose evoluzioni, è perfettamente in linea con quello di Jan Schlegel, che talvolta avremmo preferito ascoltare al contrabbasso. Un disco che, anche se non ci sembra indispensabile, presenta spunti interessanti.
Gigi Sabelli, All About Jazz Italia, 30-05-2009

Dieses Zürcher Quartett hat es nicht eilig: in 10 Jahren die zweite Scheibe, und erneut ein hochoriginelles Konglomerat, zusammengefügt und treiben gelassen. Alle vier MusikerInnen spielen natürlich noch in anderen Kontexten, aber wenn es dann zusammengeht, ist es noch einmal etwas sehr Besonderes. Gespielt werden 6 (bzw. 5, eine eigene Re-Interpretation ist dabei) Kompositionen, außer einer von Bassist Jan Schlegel sind alle von Pianistin Gabriela Friedli. Das präzis-sondierende Sax von Co Streiff, die stets präsent-akzentuierenden Drums von Dieter Ulrich, Schlegels ewiger Puls und dann der messerscharfe stringente Swing von Friedlis Piano - selten gab es eine kontemporäre Jazzband, die mit derart viel Dezenz und Kontrolle soviel wagte. Die komplexesten Strukturen und Themen rollen in einem Guss, ihre Komplexität swingt und dreht sich wie ein 12-Ton-BlueNote-Derwisch. Begeisternd: die frische Fragilität und kristallklare Kohärenz dieser außergewöhnlichen Motive. Sehr großer Wurf.
By Honker, MADE MY DAY, Terz 12.09, Deutschland

Objets Trouves is a Swiss 4tet playing the compositions of pianist Gabriela Friedli. Though she has studied and worked with Irene Schweizer and Urs Blochinger, the music on “THIS SIDE UP” is largely through-composed. This is nothing like the Free music of her “ancestors,” as the six compositions here are tonal but rhythmically and melodically complex, and we get the sound of compositions played as improvisations. It is interesting to hear how the 4tet can achieve such unity and complexity playing written parts. The group is able to shift instantaneously using theme and development as in a Beethoven quartet, though there are clearly some short passages of controlled solo improvising. “THIS SIDE UP” has the tone and voice of Jazz, but the tight control of Classical music, and so it raises an old question in Jazz that goes back to Jelly Roll Morton, about what the proper balance between improvisation and composition is in the music. Friedli and her mates clearly tilt in the direction of composition, and at the same time manage to keep the tone and energy of improvisation. I suppose the Objets Trouves raise again that hoary old question about what exactly Jazz is. I won’t even touch that one, thank you.
Phillip McNally, Cadence Magazine, USA, jan-feb-mar 2010