Reviews: INGRID LAUBROCK CONTEMPORARY CHAOS PRACTICES. Intakt CD 314

INTAKT RECORDS – CD-REVIEWS

INGRID LAUBROCK
CONTEMPORARY CHAOS PRACTICES – TWO WORKS FOR ORCHESTRA WITH SOLOISTS
INGRID LAUBROCK, MARY HALVORSON, KRIS DAVIS, NATE WOOLEY

Intakt CD 314 / 2018

Bill Milkowski, Downbeat, August 2018

Rigobert Dittmann, BA 100, Oct 2018

Wolf Kampmann, Jazzthing, Nov 2018

Marc Chénard, La Scena Musicale, Nov 2018

Phil Freeman, The Wire, November 2018

Avant Scena. Contemporary music blog, November 12, 2018

Nate Chinen, wbgo.org,Nov 11, 2018

INGRID LAUBROCK with MARY HALVORSON / KRIS DAVIS / NATE WOOLEY - Contemporary Chaos Practices (Intakt 314; Switzerland) "Ingrid Laubrock's credentials as an ambitious, skillful composer of intricate yet visceral works for small ensembles is well established – not least on the evidence of her excellent, much-admired Intakt recordings. Whether writing for conventionally constituted assemblages like her quintet Anti-House, or for a more unusual complement, like the mix of tuba, koto, electronics, and more that she convened two years ago for Serpentines, Laubrock has demonstrated a formidable capacity for writing music of intricacy, integrity, and broad appeal. The critic Steve Smith writes in the liner notes: "The present recording, recorded in a studio by an ensemble of first-call freelancers led by two ideally sympathetic conductors, Eric Wubbels and Taylor Ho Bynum, provides eloquent evidence of what Laubrock has achieved. Both of her orchestral pieces – Vogelfrei, with its variegated textures, animated rhythms, swooping vocals, and inexorable momentum; and Contemporary Chaos Practices, where four instantly distinguishable soloists (Mary Halvorson, Davis, Wooley, and Laubrock herself) retain their individuality while negotiating a brilliantly rendered aural landscape – serve notice of an estimable composer who has something to say, and knows exactly how to say it."
Since moving to New York nearly a decade ago, I've had the opportunity to watch Ingrid Laubrock grow and evolve as a musician, composer and multi-bandleader. Over some four dozen discs as a leader or collaborator, as well as witnessing dozens of performances, Ms. Laubrock has consistently surprised me time and again. Her half dozen+ discs on the Intakt label show immense signs of growth, and an admirable sense of adventure and risk-taking. This disc is perhaps her most ambitious effort so far, utilizing the talents of a 35 piece orchestra plus another eight vocalists. Ms. Laubrock has also chosen a handful of well-selected soloists/collaborators: Mary Halvorson, Kris Davis and Nate Wooley as well as her own tenor & soprano sax, to be featured in different sections, all four in especially fine form. I like the way the orchestra reaches up to surround and/or support the soloists, carefully adding layers or shades sympathetically or robustly at times as well. Some of the more mysterious or chaotic-sounding arranging for the strings and reeds, recalls Xenakis or Penderecki, while the soloists add their own twists and turns the different currents. There is a good deal of fascinating activity and shape-shifting spirits going on here, which will take some time to fully absorb. Bravo to Ingrid Laubrock and her extraordinary orchestra, this disc will no doubt show up on a number of year-end Best Of lists! Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery, November 16th, 2018

Kevin Press, Exlaim, Nov 14, 2018

Don Phipps, All About Jazz, November 16, 2018

Selwyn Harris, Jazzwise Magazine Issue 236, Dec 2018

Arkiv Jazz, Nov 15 2018

Joseph Neff, The Vinyl District, Nov 20 2018

Éric Champagne, La Scena Musicale, Dec 2018

Diario de Querétaro, Dec 4 2018

Kevin Coultas, inonthecorner.com, Dec 2 2018

Troy Dostert, All About Jazz, Dec 3 2018

Stuart Broomer, The Whole Note, Nov 27, 2018

David Cristol, Jazzmagazine, Paris, Dec 2018

Filipe Freitas, Jazztrail, Dec 10 2018

Raul da Gama, jazzdagama.com, Dec 6 2018

Sergio Piccirilli, El Intruso, Dec 8 2018

Bandcamp Daily, Nov 2018

Jesús Rodríguez Lenin, Robb Report Spain, Dec/Jan 2018/19

Seth Colter Walls, the New York Times, Dec 13, 2018

Xavier Plus, Concerto Magazine, 6 Dec 2018

Phil Freeman, stereogum.com, Dec 2018

Peter Margasak, petermargasak.com, Dec 2018

Franpi Barriaux, citizenjazz.com, Dec 16 2018

Gonçalo Falcão, jazz.pt, Dec 2018

Gonçalo Frota. Balanço 2018. O melhor do ano, Público (www.publico.pt), Portugal, 21 de Dezembro de 2018

David Hajdu, The Nation. Dec 21, 2018. NR 1 - THE BEST ALBUM OF 2018

Music for Watermelons, Playlist 2018, Dec 22, 2018

Mark Corroto, All About Jazz, Dec 29 2018

John Murph, Downbeat magazine, Feb 2019

The Hot Box, Downbeat Magazine, Feb 2019

Nick Metzger, The Free Jazz Collective, Dec 27 2018

Robert Bush, The New York City Jazz Record, Jan 2019

Brad Cohan, JazzTimes.com, Dec 31 2018

Laubrock für Orchester – in diesem Fall mehr als 40 Frau und Mann stark: Bläser, Streicher, Percussion und Gesang plus vier Solistinnen. Die Musikerinnen stammen größtenteils aus New York und sind in der Mehrzahl durch die ebenso harte wie freisinnige Schule Anthony Braxtons gegangen. Das hört man – und konnte es auch sehen, wie etwa beim Moers Festival 2017, hier allerdings mit dem nicht weniger virtuosen EOS Kammerorchester Köln. Der Vorteil beim Live-Erlebnis: Es wird sichtbar, weshalb Laubrock sowohl auf der Bühne als auch im Studio zwei Dirigenten einsetzt. Eric Wubbels sorgt hier dafür, dass bei den anspruchsvollen, streng notierten Parts niemand den Überblick verliert, während Taylor Ho Bynum zusammenbringt, was sich zwischen den losen Strukturen und der freien Improvisation entwickelt. In Vogelfrei bahnen sich aufgeregte Stimmen den Weg durchs Labyrinth aus nervösen Bläsern und Streichern, ehe sie gemeinsam in einem versöhnlichen, lang gezogenen Schlussakkord entschwinden. Contemporary Chaos Practices bewegt sich noch freier und äußerst sprunghaft zwischen den diversen Aggregatzuständen hin und her: elektroakustische Wall of Sounds, orchestrale Sätze, in denen Tempi und Metrik ständig variieren, dazu frei-improvisierte Parts im Solo oder in der Gruppe. Symphonisches und sympathisches Genrehopping könnte man es nennen, dennoch hat man nie das Gefühl der Beliebigkeit – die Musik sucht und nimmt sich statt dessen die Freiheit der direkten Aktion. „Aufgabe von Kunst heute ist es, Chaos in die Ordnung zu bringen“, schrieb Theodor W. Adorno in Minima Moralia. In diesem Sinne: Aufgabe erfüllt!

Holger Pauler, Freistil Nr. 82, 2018, Österreich

Akriv Jazz interview with Ingrid

Arkiv Jazz interview with Don & Aruan

Tom's Pick at Arkiv Jazz, January 4, 2019

Phil Freeman, Wire Magazine, Jan 2019

LondonJazzNews.com, Jan 2019

Francis Davis, The NPR Music Jazz Critics Poll 2018

The Free Jazz Collective 2018 Round-Up

Alan Scherstuhl, Downbeat.com, Jan 3 2019

Avant Music News Best of 2018, Jan 2019

Olaf Maikopf, Jazzthetic Magazine, Jan 2019

Jean-Louis Lemarchand, Les Dernières Nouvelles de Jazz, Jan 13 2019

z'kay, Klenkes Magazine, Jan 2019

"Musicians of the Year"/"Albums of the Year"/"Composers of the Year"/"Guitarists of the Year"/"Pianists of the Year"/"Saxophonists of the Year"/"Trumpetists of the Year"
El Intruso, Jan 2019