One
of the best trios we've heard in recent memory
This is the first recordings by this unique trio featuring Irene Schweizer
on piano, Fred Anderson on tenor sax and Hamid Drake on drums &
percussion. This disc was recorded live at two different festivals,
some six years apart: The Taklos Fest in March of 1998 and the Willisau
Fest in August of 2004. There are only four pieces here and the first
one is a long duo of Irene and Hamid. "A Former Dialogue"
is a phenomenal excursion right from the first note. Superbly recorded
and perfectly balanced so that there is a most perfect dialogue going
on back and forth, a blending of ideas into one stream, a seamless,
soaring journey that is often like riding upon waves. Hamid Drake
and Fred Anderson are both Chicago-based and have played together
for a long while. "Trinity", is the longest piece here (nearly
a half hour) and it is an amazing blast of torrential power with all
three players weaving, burning and building into tight waves together.
Rather than blasting intensely throughout, like Fred Anderson is known
to do, the trio each blend their talents just right, moving through
restrained sections as well as the more intense and furious segments.
Ms. Schweizer, who has some 15+ discs on Intakt, is in particularly
fine form here as she balances perfectly between Fred's probing tenor
sax and Hamid's diverse and creative drumming. This is, without a
doubt, one of the best trios we've heard in recent memory. It doesn't
get any better than this.
Bruce Gallanter, Down Town Music Gallery, New York, January
2007
Das Leben
braucht kein Notenpapier
Seit den Sechzigerjahren setzt sich der Saxofonist Fred Anderson
in Chicago für improvisierte Musik ein - Nachwuchsarbeit inklusive
Er hat immer gearbeitet. Seine Hosentaschen sind meist gut gefüllt,
nicht besonders sorgsam gefaltete A4-Kopien schauen heraus. Oft sieht
er aus, als müsste er später noch bei seinen regulären
Jobs vorbeischauen, die er jahrzehntelang verrichtet hat und die ihn
an einer internationalen Karriere hinderten. Auslegeware zuschneiden
und verlegen, Jobs, mit denen er seine Familie ernährt hat, das
Haus abbezahlt. Der Saxofonist Fred Anderson wurde 1929 in Louisiana
geboren. In den Sechzigerjahren war er Mitbegründer der AACM,
erreichte jedoch nie den internationalen Bekanntheitsgrad seiner Kollegen,
weil er nur selten außerhalb Chicagos auftrat. Dort öffnete
1982 sein Club "The Velvet Lounge", der zum lokalen Jazzzentrum
wurde. Anderson gilt als der große Förderer der jungen
Chicagoer Szene, mit dem melodieorientierten Schlagzeuger Hamid Drake
entwickelte er ein stark rhythmisches Improvisationskonzept. Beim
New Yorker Vision Festival wurde er 2005 mit einem Fred Anderson Day
geehrt, beim Schweizer Intakt Label ist jetzt eine wunderschöne
Live-CD erschienen, auf der man ihn, Drake und die Pianistin Irène
Schweizer in Duo- und Trio-Settings hören kann: Schweizer-Anderson-Drake,
"Willisau-Taktlos" (Intakt 104). Dank dieser Musik ist das
Jahr schon fast gerettet.
Er musste die Verantwortung für seine Familie übernehmen,
berichtet Anderson beim Gespräch in New York. Bevor das Art Ensemble
of Chicago nach Paris ging, hatte dessen Saxofonist Joseph Jarman
in seiner Band gespielt. Da Anderson 1959 ein Haus kaufte und seine
drei Kinder versorgen musste, habe er nicht weggehen können.
Er habe Geschirr gespült und viele andere Jobs gemacht, um das
Familieneinkommen zu sichern. Nebenbei studierte der Autodidakt Musik.
Mitte 1965 war er bei einem der ersten Treffen dabei, aus denen die
schwarze Musikerselbsthilfeorganisation Association for the Advancement
of Creative Musicians (AACM) hervorging - es sei damals höchste
Zeit gewesen, resümiert Anderson. Erst 1976 fing er selbst international
zu touren an, 1978 trat er beim Festival in Moers auf. Abgesehen von
materiellen Bedingungen brauche die Entwicklung eines eigenen künstlerischen
Konzepts viel Zeit - nichts geschehe hier über Nacht, sagt er.
Nach der Eröffnung des "The Velvet Lounge" 1982 kam
er erst 1994 wieder nach Europa. Er versuchte von der Arbeit in dem
kleinen Club zu leben, seit 1993 gibt es dort regelmäßig
Livemusik, erst kürzlich zog "The Velvet Lounge" in
neue Räumlichkeiten um.
Das größte Hindernis sei, dass man die Musik der AACM nicht
im Radio hören kann, sagt Anderson. Somit werde den Menschen
seines Landes eine große Kulturleistung vorenthalten. Es geht
dabei vor allem um eine grundlegend neue Perspektive: Man fördert
Musiker, die einander zuhören, sodass sie sich gegenseitig antworten
können. Nach Anderson studiert man permanent und begreift dabei,
dass Musik ein Mysterium ist, so wie das Leben.
Anderson wuchs in einer Gegend von Illinois auf, wo es ganz normal
war, dass man die Musik von Charlie Parker kannte. Er hat ihn noch
spielen sehen, und das sei ein unglaubliches Erlebnis für ihn
gewesen, erzählt er. Nach Parkers Tod müssen die Dinge komplizierter
geworden sein, aber diese Revolution sei ja hauptsächlich in
New York gelaufen, sagt er. In Chicago hörte man die Platten,
und er habe sofort gespürt, wie sehr Ornette Coleman von Parker
beeinflusst war. Doch Parker schien ihm damals noch wesentlich freier
zu sein.
Heute bemängelt Anderson, dass es keinen Lehrplan für kreative
Musik gibt, räumt allerdings auch ein, dass man diese Sounds
schlecht in einem Klassenraum lernen kann. Man brauche Sponsoren.
Diese Musik lernt man auf der Bühne, durch das Spielen - es gäbe
viele Musiker, die gut Noten lesen können, aber wenn man das
Notenpapier wegnimmt, fällt ihnen nichts mehr ein.
Für Anderson ist Musik ernste Arbeit und seriöse Kommunikation.
Die Hautfarbe spiele für ihn keine Rolle, sagt der afroamerikanische
Tenorsaxofonist, der sich stark in jener Tradition begreift, die Louis
Armstrong und Duke Ellington begründet haben. Irène Schweizer
etwa spreche die gemeinsame musikalische Sprache, sie kenne sich da
aus. Die gemeinsame CD entstand bei Festivalauftritten in der Schweiz.
Für Anderson reflektiert diese Musik Erfahrung, wie man die Welt
erfährt, was man hört. Diese Musiker haben eine Community,
ihre Basis sind zwölf Töne. Dagegen hat Anderson die Erfahrung
gemacht, dass die Leute, die sich auf die Schwarz-weiß-Problematik
einlassen, ein Problem haben.
Was seinen Club betrifft, sprechen die Leute von der Fred-Anderson-Universität.
Er hat zwar kein Klassenzimmer, aber viele Aufnahmen, die man hören
kann. Der Workshop beginnt für Anderson, sobald man den Club
betritt: Zu Hause kann man in Büchern stöbern, und wenn
alles erforscht ist, kommt man zu ihm in den Club und probiert es
aus.
Dass er unter solchen Bedingungen innovativ geblieben ist, liegt für
Anderson daran, dass er das eigene Leben entsprechend ausgerichtet
hat. Er sei nicht drogenabhängig und sei froh darüber, dass
viele junge Musiker heute ebenfalls clean sind. Das sei früher
anders gewesen, doch zum Glück habe er überlebt und könne
jetzt die Dinge tun, die er liebe. Musik ist harte Arbeit, sagt Anderson.
Er formuliert damit eine sehr typische Haltung seiner Generation.
Dann nimmt er die Einkaufstüte aus Plastik und geht. Zur Schicht,
zum nächsten
CHRISTIAN BROECKING, TAZ, Berlin, 23.1.2007
Ein klassischer Fall von
2 + 2 = 3. Willisau & Taktlos (Intakt CD 104) verschränkt
zwei Partnerschaften, die nahezu lebenslange von FRED ANDERSON &
HAMID DRAKE mit der etwa zehnjährigen von IRÈNE SCHWEIZER
& Drake. Letztere hört man mit "A Former Dialogue‘
auf dem Taktlos-Festival 1998 in Zürich. Als Trio präsentierten
sie sich 2004 auf dem Jazzfestival Willisau. Der unglaubliche Drake
ist die verkörperte Schnittmenge, die hier tatsächlich in
vielfacher Hinsicht in afrikanischem Boden wurzelt. Kaum jemand könnte
diese Roots besser repräsentieren als der Drummer der Mandingo
Griot Society. Wobei es dabei immer auch um das "Innere Afrika‘
geht, das sich entsprechend auch in Die Like A Dog, dem DKV Trio,
Spaceways Inc. und dem Brötzmann Chicago Tentet findet, Drakes
sonstigen Spielplätzen. Ebenso hat kaum jemand das Legat der
südafrikanischen Blue Notes besser verinnerlicht wie die Schweizer
Pianistin, die dem Lockruf des dunklen Kontinents seit 40 Jahren verfallen
ist. Und was macht Anderson mit seinem Tenorsax anderes, als seit
derselben Zeit in Chicago von der Black Heritage zu singen? Back Together
Again (Thrill Jockey, 2004), sein Duett mit seinem musikalischen Ziehsohn
Drake, der 26 Jahre nach ihm im selben Monroe, Louisiana geboren wurde
wie er, zeigte dieses Erbe im vollkommenen Einklang vom Intimität
und "Natürlichkeit‘. Ein Wort, das ich ungern verwende,
das bei Drakes barfüßigem und oft auch bloßhändigem
Drumming aber absolut angebracht ist, speziell wenn er zu seiner Frame-Drum
als Pulsgeber greift. Für die souveräne Manier, mit der
Schweizer sich und ihre Begeisterung und Erfahrung einbringt und wie
diese eingebunden wird von ihren beiden Spielgefährten, sind
die Taufnamen "Trinity‘ und "Schwandrake‘ für
die Passagen ihres Willisau-Sets treffend gewählt. Der binnenrhythmische,
"trommelige‘ Grundzug ihrer Spielweise führt zu einer
interessanten "Arbeitsteilung‘ mit Drake, indem sie im
permanenten Wechselspiel jeweils in hellen (hohen) oder dunklen (tiefen)
Registern ihre rhythmischen Muster hämmern und pochen. Ihre animierten
Impulse ergeben ein feinmaschiges Gewebe, durch das Anderson seine
Linien und Figuren fädelt und schlängelt, das er aber auch
gegenläufig durchbohrt oder als Trampolin nutzt. Der rhythmische
Rapport der Drei wirkt streckenweise wie jahrelang geprobt. Allen
die meinen, dass sie zu ihrem Glück keine weitere Schweizer-Einspielung
brauchen, kann ich nur sagen: Dass ihr euch da mal nicht täuscht.
Rigobert Dittmann, Bad Alchemy, Februar
2007, Nr. 53
Maestoso
Non ce ne voglia Fred Anderson, splendido e storico rappresentante
della scena free di Chicago, ma questo CD brilla principalmente per
le magie di “A Former Dialogue“, sontuosa conversazione
tra la pianista svizzera Irene Schweizer ed il percussionista statunitense
Hamid Drake.
Live Taktlos & Willisau raccoglie le esibizioni del trio Schweizer/Anderson/Drake
al Festival di Willisau nell’agosto 2004, e del duo Schweizer/Drake
al Festival Taktlos di Zurigo nel marzo 1998. E proprio quest’ultima
è la gemma indiscussa dell’intero CD, un magico equilibrio
tra il pianismo enciclopedico, infarcito di richiami alla musica contemporanea
di matrice bianca della Schweizer e il senso percussivo tutto africano
di Drake.
“A Former Dialogue” è un grandiosa cavalcata idealmente
suddivisa in tre parti. Nella prima, Drake privilegia le pelli del
suo set percussivo, utilizzando con maestria e in modo originale le
spazzole. Si vengono a creare, così, della aree timbriche soffuse
e delicate che consentono alla pianista svizzera di alimentare gradualmente
un climax fatto di rapide pennellate, di cellule sonore appena accennate,
cariche di sottile tensione. Poi l’attenzione di Drake si sposta
sui metalli accentuando in tal modo la componente ritmica, indispensabile
per sostenere e, in qualche modo contenere, l’esplosione fragorosa
della tastiera, sottoposta ad un vero e proprio tour de force dalla
spinta inesauribile delle dita della Schweizer. Infine il batterista
di Monroe, Louisiana, libera tutta la propria sapienza poliritmica
permettendo alla pianista di virare verso una maggior riconoscibilità
melodica, in una sezione ricca di riferimenti gospel e blues. Maestoso.
I rimanenti tre brani, serviti dopo un tale uragano, appaiono un poco
penalizzati. E più che il chilometrico “Trinity“,
quasi mezzora di scambi tumultuosi, colpisce “Schwandrake“,
meraviglioso esempio di interplay moderno, triangolo equilatero dai
perfetti equilibri con i tre musicisti impegnati in un mantra improvvisativo
di rara suggestione.
Vincenzo Roggero, All About Jazz, Italia, February, 2007
Long-standing partnership
between saxophonist Fred Anderson and percussionist Hamid Drake has
enjoyed a very fruitful relationship. "Birdhouse" [where
they played together with Jim Baker and Harrison Bankhead] and "Destiny"
[an album that saw them play alongside pianist Marilyn Crispell] were
some of the more successful releases the two shared credits for. Into
the equation comes Irene Schweizer - a formidable force in her native
Switzerland. Without a doubt, she has been one of the forerunners
in shaping the direction of improvised music in her country over the
last three decades. Without her input, a new batch of Swiss improvising
talent would not have been possible. With each release, she reaches
for new ideas and is keen on working with new individuals. Her percussion
duets with people such as Andrew Cyrille, Louis Moholo, Günter
Sommer, Pierre Favre, Han Bennink have been highly successful in unravelling
this major talent's ability to adapt to any playing scenario. What's
more exciting is what Schweizer brings into the long standing relationship
that Anderson and Drake have been able to foster for so many years.
While the first track - the 22 minute "A Former Dialogue"
- features a duet between Drake and Schweizer, all other pieces feature
the complete trio. On that duo, Schweizer applies her multi-coloured
percussive-heavy piano technique that Drake responds to with ease.
His percussion technique is never an imitation of Schweizer's style.
Rather, he's playing straight from his head and his heart. This duet
is perhaps one of the better ones I've heard Schweizer be a part of.
Following the duo, we get three longish numbers, each one better than
the previous one. While Drake and Schweizer duel out to see who's
more rhythmically in tune, Anderson simply wails on his tenor. His
sweet-as-honey, melodic blows make this session what it is. Even when
he's wailing jagged blows into the mouthpiece, there's still an undeniable
sweetness. His communication with Drake is done on another plane -
a plateau too complex for us, mere humans to be able to comprehend.
Whatever it is they do telepathically works. Not only are they all
inclusive of Schweizer's melodic piano attacks, they actually allow
her to throw more melodies from within then ever before. The trio
becomes so in tune with each other that they start to resemble themselves.
There is a certain section near the end of "Trinity" where
Schweizer imitates Drake's rhythmic percussive pattern. For a minute,
in this cat'n'mouse game, you're not sure, who's imitating whom and
you have no certainty of who's the leader and who's doing the following.
Rarely have I heard Schweizer be this engaged with her players. Rarely
have I heard her this damn excited. The totality of the moment has
gotten the better of everyone. On these live sets, it's the listener
who shares the wealth of the experience of all three players. We're
all the richer for having heard this fine example of perfect musical
trialogue.
Tom Sekowski, Gaz-Eta, Poland, February
2007
Ihr müsst schon selbst
hören, wie funkensprühend sich diese Live-Improvisation
dagegen formuliert: Schweizer, erst im ‚taktlos'-Duo mit Drummer
Drake, dann im ‚willisau'-Trio mit diesem und Anderson's Sax
- letztere sind uralte Freunde -, gelingt es stets, die traditionelle
Form bei aller freien Expression und Abstraktion nie komplett zu ignorieren.
Hinzu kommt, da Schweizer selbst drummt, ihr intuitiv geschultes perkussives,
nahezu talking-drum-artiges Tastenspiel, plus ein lebendiges und impulsives
Spielfeuer aller Drei, welches die Grenzen zwischen ihnen immer wieder
niederbrennt. Diese Platte ist ein Musterbeispiel für eine beseelte
wie packende Konservierung improvisierter Musik - so soll es sein,
und so kann es auch weitergereicht werden.
MADE MY DAY by HONKER, TERZ, Deutschland, März 2007
Swiss pianist Irene Schweizer
has done some of her best work in duo with drummers, a chief reason
why a large percentage of her Intakt catalog features her in such
situations. This set teams her with one of the most intuitive percussionists
in the field of creative jazz, the indefatigable Hamid Drake. Taped
at Takltos in the spring of ’98, the disc’s first piece,
“A Former Dialogue,” provides extended exposure to their
repartee. At 22-minutes, it’s just the right length, allowing
the pair plenty of space to realize an improvised itinerary where
rests are few, but the sharply drawn conversation doesn’t feels
rushed.
Drake shadows Schweizer’s swirling arpeggios and recombinating
chords without crowding or overpowering, anticipating and enhancing
her two-fisted progressions with a degree of rhythmic divination that
once again upholds his reputation. His limbs are conversant in a full
range of reflexive strokes from syncopated cymbal downbeats to stuttering
snare tattoos and a small encyclopedia of other stock maneuvers. But
these stylistic signatures never feel heavy-handed or disingenuous,
always deployed as they are in the service of the music. The interplay
is so musically communicative that the impending entrance of saxophonist
Fred Anderson on three pieces taped six years later at Willisau almost
feels like an miscalculation and I found myself pondering how Schweizer
and Drake would tailor their strong rapport to the saxophonist’s
staunchly individualized improvisatory traits.
Anderson isn’t usually one to mitigate his longstanding methods,
sliding back into the familiar blues figures that inform virtually
all of his solos, even when its seems a less than advisable move in
relation to the larger musical whole. He’s also a musician not
usually given to playing with pianists, possibly a product of the
implied chordal formality of the instrument that doesn’t always
jibe well with his personalized notions of melody and rhythm. Past
dates involving ivories have met with mixed results ranging from great
(Destiny) to somewhat sketchy (Birdhouse). This set definitely belongs
on the former side of the ledger.
Anderson draws from his customary reservoir of modal riffs, but Drake
is so attuned to his elder’s idiosyncrasies that he’s
able to span the gap between tenor and piano whenever the need arises.
Schweizer responds too, her ingrained melodicism molding to the saxophonist’s
vernacular, but Anderson still sounds most comfortable on the short
duet segment with Drake that marks the median of “Trinity.”
The two old friends slip into the sort of reciprocal exchange familiar
to anyone who’s witnessed their compatibility in person. Schweizer
returns and Anderson drops out leaving piano and drums to another
tumultuous communion. The remainder of the piece returns to trio dimensions,
Anderson carving away up the middle with his colleagues at his flanks,
the forward momentum leavened by several balladic asides. “Schwandrake”
unfolds as a requisite frame drum feature for Drake, his membrane-undulating
beats weaving with Anderson in meditative Sufi mode as Schweizer gradually
expands her presence with rolling African-tinged chords. The set winds
down with a sectional backbeat-loaded coda simply titled “Willisau,”
the three giving it one more concentrated go before exuberant applause.
Derek Taylor, Bagagellen, March 2007
Christian
Rentsch, Jazz'n'more, Zürich, März/April 2007
Propulsive Swiss pianist
Irène Schweizer was joined at Willisau Jazz Festival In August
2004 by Fred Anderson and Hamild Drake, distinguished emissaries from
the fertile Chicago scene. Three trio improvisations figure here.
Anderson's edgily insistent tenor sax runs and riffs prove an effective
counterpart to Schweizer's unremitting dynamism. Her rapport with
Drake is still more striking: his polyrhythmic kit-work coincides
brilliantly with her own rhythmic priorities. Drake takes up a frame
drum for "Schwandrake"; Anderson responds by spinning a
serpentine line and the pianist plays percussiveiv on dampened strings.
The finest track, though, is "A Former Dialogue", a 22 minute
Schweizer/Drake duet recorded at Taktios in 1998. Even when the pace
approaches breakneck, their music is characterised by unfaltering
decisiveness; details stay clear-cut despite the heady momentum. It's
worth having for that dialogue alone – a hugely enjoyable meeting
of like intuitions.
Julian Cowley, THE WIRE, London, April 2007
Kavin
Le Gendre, Jazzwise, London, Mai 2007
Here are three masters
of improvised jazz from two continents, presented in one duo (piano/drums)
and three trio contexts, live in Zurich 1998 & 2004. Irene Schweizer
is a pianist in the free-flowing Cecil Taylor vein, who is in no way
an imitator; Hamid Drake is a amazing drummer who shines in virtually
any context, and Fred Anderson is a longtime associate of Chicago's
AACM enclave, a deep-toned, vigorous, blues-drenched tenor saxophonist
whose flights, no matter how "out," are always heartfelt
in an old-school manner (think Don Byas, Coleman Hawkins, Gene Ammons,
all gents of the old-school). Toss 'em together and the sparks fly
– but think you not this is one of those raging free-for-alls
where the participants never touch the earth. The longest piece here,
the almost half-hour "Trinity" finds Schweizer engaging
in what sounds like mutant boogie-woogie and some slammin' Dave Brubeck-like
percussive chord-age. At one point, Anderson and Drake slip into what
sounds like a honking jump-blues groove vaguely reminiscent of the
likes of Hal Singer and Big Jay McNeely. Drake plays freely, like
the rest, but his approach is more explosive and propulsive than tentative
or abstract. And Anderson, the seventh-decade marvel that he is (he
played on the earliest [1960s] recordings by Art Ensemble of Chicago
stalwart Joseph Jarman), has such a gloriously earthy, rough-house
élan to his tenor that he grounds the trio even more than does
drummer Drake. Don't get the wrong idea, though – this is not
jazz for the easy-does-it, theme/solos/theme listener. It's demanding,
but unlike some so-called demanding music, it does have its payoff
for the resolute listener. On the selection "Schwandrake"
these three make a darkly engaging structure out of nothing, one that
wouldn't be out of place on a Brubeck or McCoy Tyner recording. Not
one for those just getting their feet wet in free waters, but for
the experienced…yum!
Mark Keresman, Jazzreview, USA, April, 2007
Wolfram
Knauer, Jazzpodium, Mai 2007
Hamid Drake's ascent in
the world of improvised music rendered unavoidable his meeting with
Irène Schweizer, a pianist who has a rich history of collaborations
with drummers and enjoys playing drums in her spare time. The opening
piece recorded at the Taktlos Festival features the two of them in
a long and multifarious conversation during which Schweizer constantly
challenges Drake whose stamina is essential to the music's focus.
The other three improvisations come from a different performance that
took place at the Willisau Festival and for which they were joined
by one of Drake's mentors, tenor saxophonist Fred Anderson. His addition
does not disturb the chemistry the two other protagonists have already
established and he is clearly careful to support their rapport. His
laid-back demeanor is deceiving though, and he can subtly inject new
ideas or suggest new directions. The pianist also knows when to step
back and let her two cohorts have a private moment. Her trademark
translucent and fleet runs, her bouncy progressions, and her forays
into South African territory reminiscent of Abdullah Ibrahim are delightful;
she can also be whimsical when she plays hide and seek with Anderson
at the end of "Trinity." The quieter passages certainly
betray her European origins, but are not a distraction from this otherwise
energetic, soulful, and pleasurable set.
Alain Drouot, All Music, USA, Mai 2007
New Yorkers have been fortunate,
with no small debt of gratitude to the Vision Festival, to have fairly
regular opportunities to see Fred Anderson. Going back almost a decade
Anderson’s first visits were with fellow Chicagoan Hamid Drake,
Louisiana saxophonist Kidd Jordan and New York’s own William
Parker. Those visits only showed one side of Anderson, however. True
he’s given to the energy jazz on which Vision is founded, but
back home at his club, The Velvet Lounge, Anderson is known on occasion
to lay back as well. His more recent trips east have hinted at that
side however and fortunately some recent CDs also show his mellower,
more melodic facets.
Anderson’s longstanding duo with drummer Hamid Drake is one
of his strongest and most celebrated relationships. But in 2003 Anderson
brought another strong player out from Chicago, the great and vastly
under-recognized bassist Harrison Bankhead. Bankhead has been getting
some notice outside Chicago since then and the set now released as
The Great Vision Concert was almost an away-from-home premiere for
him. Besides touring with 8 Bold Souls (another worthy Chicago group),
a full-time job keeps him busy in the suburbs much of the time. This
is the relaxed Anderson, stretching out with a friend, in no hurry
to go anywhere: three long improvisations (15 to 22 minutes) followed
by a 5-minute vamp.
That mood is present again in a home game recording with Anderson,
Bankhead and Drake on Timeless. The 2005 concert at The Velvet (as
it is affectionately called and before it relocated) has the warmth
of a living-room jam - which it just about is. Anderson had run the
club for some 25 years, taking over after the previous owner died
and slowly but surely it became a fixture in the Chicago jazz scene.
With a drummer present, he and Bankhead push a little harder than
on the duo disc, but it’s still a relaxed set, a nice companion
to Anderson’s 2003 Back at The Velvet Lounge, an essential recording
for catching a glimpse of the warmth within his fire.
From the River to the Ocean takes the trio into the studio and adds
a couple of guests. Although billed like an Anderson/Drake duet, the
album includes (on most tracks) Bankhead (tripling on piano and cello),
guitarist Jeff Parker and Josh Abrams on bass and guimbri. Parker
has been a nice element to the Chicago AACM groups, a thoughtful and
melodic player, a bit of Blue Note to the town’s prevailing
Impulse! He provides nice color here, as does Abrams and Bankhead’s
multi-instrumentalism is valuable to the session. But it’s Anderson
and Drake’s record and it’s an excellent one - thought
through as a presentation created in the studio and one that will
stand out in Anderson’s discography.
Anderson is the guest on Live Willisau & Taktlos (or Drake is
the common denominator, anyway, but it’s pianist Irène
Schweizer’s turf). Schweizer’s love of duos with drummers
and her interest in African music made a duo with Drake almost inevitable
and their eventually being joined by Anderson almost as sure a bet.
Recorded live at two Swiss festivals - the Taktlos Festival in 1998
and the Jazzfestival Willisau in 2004 - this is the most energetic
of the discs here. Still, Schweizer has plenty of styles at the flick
of her wrist, from percussion-driven playing to rag and Monk and moves
fluidly throughout the four tracks. After decades with little notice,
it’s a fortunate thing that the rate of Anderson’s recordings
just keeps picking up. And, having just turned 78 in March, so does
he.
Kurt Gottschalk. All About Jazz USA, June 2, 2007
Kurt
Gottschalk, All About Jazz New York, Mai 2007
Brian
Morton, Jazzreview, GB, June 2007
Live Willisau & Taktlos
Intakt CD 104 (www.intaktrec.com)
Fred Anderson & Hamid Drake
From the River to the Ocean
Thrill Jockey thrill 183 (www.thrilljockey.com)
Although recognition has only come to Chicago’s Fred Anderson
during the past 15 years, his role as and co-founder of the Association
for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (ACCM) and as mentor for
tyro players sometimes obscures his lineage as an accomplished post-bop
tenor saxophonist. From the River to the Ocean should rectify that.
Here, the melodic tone and idea flow from the saxophone of Anderson
(born in 1929) directly relate to how John Coltrane (1926) and Sonny
Rollins (1930) construct solos. Couple this with the unusual setting
that frames the reedist on different tracks with Jeff Parker’s
guitar; Harrison Bankhead’s bass, cello or piano; Josh Abrams’
bass or guimbri (Berber lute); and Hamid Drake’s regular kit
or frame drum; and the CD should impress even those who dismiss Anderson
as an unapproachable avant-gardist.
Drake, Anderson’s best-known protégé, totted his
drums to Switzerland for festival gigs with percussive Swiss pianist
Irène Schweizer, captured on Live Willisau & Taktlos. Schweizer,
whose position vis-à-vis Euro-Improv is analogous to Anderson’s
with the AACM, has recorded memorable duo discs with a clutch of international
percussionists. Her experience with Drake is just as rewarding. As
an added bonus, Anderson sits in on three of the four tracks. Energized
by the surroundings his tight, sharp contributions are more abstract
than those on From the River….
Rollins-like echoes are present on Live’s “Schwandrake”,
with the saxophonist’s moderato patterns and runs referencing
Newk’s past percussion discussions. This is especially clear
when Schweizer’s internal string stopping and plucking complement
Drake’s hand drum displays.
Even more impressive is the reed work on From the River’s “Planet
E” and “Sakti/Shiva”. The later mixes spittle-encrusted
reed cries with the guimbri’s bongo drum-like thumping to recall
Rollins’ classic 1960s duets with bassist Bob Cranshaw. “Planet
E” also references that era, not only in thick, rampaging bass
chords and the drummer’s clattering cymbals, but also in the
chiming, finger-picked licks from Parker, who almost channels Jim
Hall.
Except for some scene-setting, diaphragm breaths behind Drake’s
Arabic chanting, Anderson’s Trane schedule is more pronounced
on the Swiss CD. What’s profoundly atypical on From The River
however, is the cohesive arrangement of “Strut Time”,
a blues that recalls Hall’s 1950s tenure in drummer Chico Hamilton’s
minimalist quintet. Walking bass and drum shuffles linked to clean
guitar finger-picking and bowed cello chords reinforce the message.
But no one would confuse Anderson’s bluesy bellows with Buddy
Collette’s Cool Jazz articulation in Hamilton’s combo.
Furthermore Anderson is completely himself on Live’s defining
track, the almost 281⁄2-minute “Trinity”. Lacerating
split tones and nephritic honking energize his solo, which erupts
after Schweizer’s conveyor belt of syncopated octave jumps and
piles of clipped notes establish the tune’s parameters. Drake’s
characteristic rhythmic invention almost wilts as his elders communicate
fortissimo. Billowing glissandi plus focused needle-like jabs undulate
from Schweizer’s fingers, as the saxophonist counters with rough-shod
split tones. Eventually, the two connect as the pianist’s key
ruffling settles into a near-groove and the saxophonist’s flutter
tonguing accepts the underlying swing sensibility.
Relaxed and inventive in his duo with Schweizer’s hunt-and-peck
rhythms and kinetic dynamics, Drake’s MVP status is confirmed
on both discs. Overseas he seconds a first meeting between simpatico
improvisers; in Chicago he helps pilot what could be the veteran saxophonist’s
most passionate and personal statement.
-- Ken Waxman, CODA Issue 334, 07/2007
Swiss pianist Irene Schweizer
excels in a duo. Two years ago, Intakt Records put out a sampler of
duets with Gunter Sommer, Louis Moholo, Andrew Cyrille and many more
that showed her ability to relate to a wide variety of players. She’s
got huge ears (not literally) and can thrust and parry with anyone
she meets, provoking her duet partners to bring something unexpected
from their repertoire. She has worked with Drake before, but this
disc features the venerable Fred Anderson, who has known Drake since
his teen years. Drake is an astonishing drummer with unbelievable
funk, but what’s most amazing about him on this disc is his
melodic sense. The first ten minutes see Schweizer and Drake sketching
along the margins of a shared rhythm, with a lightning fast push and
pull. Then both go for the gutbucket and meld one crunchy rhythmic
vamp into another. When Anderson joins in, there seems to be an air
of familiarity at first due to the many recordings he and Drake have
made together. Then Schweizer’s skronky South African soul starts
giving Anderson different ideas and a truly effective three-way conversation
ensues. Two shorter tracks are probably encores and don’t hit
the heights of the first two pieces but this disc is well worth experiencing
for 45 sublime minutes.
David Dacks, Exclaim, Canada, March 2007
Irène Schweizer
im Duo mit verschiedenen Schlagzeugern - eine mittlerweile 3 Jahrzehnte
umspannende Erfolgsgeschichte. Die vorliegenden Aufnahmen von zwei
Festivals in Willisau und Zürich (daher der kryptische CD-Titel)
dokumentieren zwei Stationen in der ca. ein Jahrzehnt alten musikalischen
Bekanntschaft der Schweizer Pianistin mit dem Chicagoer Ausnahmedrummer
Hamid Drake: ein 22minütiges Zwiegespräch aus dem Jahr 1998,
das eindrucksvoll vor Ohren führt, wie sehr sich die Pianistin
mit dem Hang zur Perkussion und der Schlagzeuger mit den (bildlich
gesprochen) großen Ohren gegenseitig beflügeln. Die 4 weiteren
Stücke aus dem Jahr 2004 bringen mit dem Saxofonisten Fred Anderson
eine weitere Gewichtsverschiebung in Richtung Chicago, die zwar in
packenden Passagen, aber auch einem gewissen Overkill resultiert und
ihre besten Momente seltsamerweise wieder in Dialogen (etwa Schweizer/Anderson)
hat. Improvisationskunst auf höchstem Niveau ist es allemal..
Martin Schuster, Concerto, Österreich, April/Mai
2007
Bienheureux le jazzkritic
trouvant la clé à quelques-unes de ses questions (c'est
qu'il n'en dormirait pas le jazzkritic!). Dans Portraits, compilation
de la pianiste publiée il y a quelques mois par Intakt, une
plage m'avait fortement questionné: il s'agissait de Willisau,
pièce improvisée par Irène Schweizer, Fred Anderson
et Hamid Drake. « Etrange et frénétique bourrasque
binaire » avais-je alors écrit. Aujourd'hui que cette
improvisation trouve sa vraie place, l'explication est claire: il
s'agissait du rappel du concert. Le rappel. Vous savez... quand tout
a déjà été dit, que les tensions sont
retombées et que plus rien ne se joue: minutes de relâchement,
de paix; hors des fatigues et des craintes; minutes où plus
rien n'est à chercher, à prouver. Délivrance
et douleur. Si loin et si proche. Jusqu'au prochain concert.
Tout avait commencé par une longue improvisation (Trinity)
de près de trente minutes. Un 3/4 furtif avait permis à
Fred Anderson de se lover dans les rocailles saillantes d'Irène
et d'Hamid. Il peina à trouver son souffle, à phraser
ses habitudes. Chez Irène, tout se délivrait dans ces
mouvements-ruptures que l'on connaît si bien. Hamid, lui, répétait
sur ses toms de longues spirales vibrantes. Tout n'était qu'énergie
et force. Déjà. La tension était omniprésente.
Anderson, au détour d'un lyrisme qu'il venait d'imposer à
ses partenaires, trouvait enfin sa place. Le voici éructant
et retrouvé, le temps d'un duo avec son vieux complice Hamid
(combien d'années déjà?). De relais en relais,
ils se remettront à l'ouvrage, sportifs et ne bafouillant pas
l'instant. Les routes seront sinueuses, proches de l'ivresse du renversement,
proches des tournis sublimes.
Puis, Hamid dénichera son frame drum. Anderson trouvera de
doux phrasés (Schwandrake). Les deux s'enfuiront loin. Irène
peinera quelque peu. C'est le jeu !
Mais tout avait pourtant commencé bien avant. Cinq ans auparavant,
plus précisément. A Taktlos, le 28 mars 1998, Irène
et Hamid jouent en duo. La cassure permanente pour la première,
le frisé redoutable pour le second. Ils ont appelé cela
A former dialogue. Ici, c'est Irène qui mène la danse.
Hamid écoute, comprend le jazz qu'Irène lui confie.
Les voici déjà partis vers d'autres abordages, d'autres
perspectives. Les cymbales explosent et entretiennent l'enchantement.
Plus tard, ce seront toujours eux. Toujours elle. Toujours lui. Puis
un solo d'Hamid. Le terrain de ce solo, offert par la pianiste, est
une magnifique piste d'envol. Sacrée Irène. Qui aime,
qui sait. Indispensable, les amis!
Luc Bouquet,
Improjazz, France, September 2007
Pianist Irene Schweizer,
tenor sax player Fred Anderson and Hamid Drake on drums are individually
benign forces of nature, no question about it, and the performances
documented here testify to the fact. All three players are deeply
alert to the integral values of free playing and they mine the seam
so deeply that it seems as though their creativity is bottomless.
”A Former Dialogue” is taken as a duo by Schweizer and
Drake and the extraordinary empathy of their work is such that the
music is so self-contained that any third party would sound intrusive.
Both musicians have long been appreciative of the value of rhythmic
displacement and that's obvious here in the way that repeatedly and
joyously confound the listener's expectations.
When Anderson does come on board for “Trinity” however
the title proves more than apt. The fraught logic of his lines, marked
as they are by his admirable ability not to resort to screaming through
his horn as a means for scoring debatably creative points, ensures
that the music never assumes the air of anything like ecstatic jazz
or some other marketing concept. Instead the trio asserts the far
more mercurial and ultimately unmarketable values of human creativity
in no uncertain terms, and not a second of the piece's twenty-eight
minute duration is wasted, especially when the listener gets down
to the transitory duos that the piece offers up, the long-standing
musical relationship between Anderson and Drake being just one of
them.
On the opening of “Schwandrake” that relationship comes
home. Anderson draws upon a tradition that goes way back in his rhythmic
vocabulary and when Schweizer chimes in initially with no more than
a pointilliste contribution the music really takes off even whilst
the sheer volume level is relatively muted. The result is music seemingly
of dimensions the number of which far exceeds the number of musicians
making it.
”Willisau” is the shortest piece here, but such is the
collective endeavor of these musicians that this doesn't result in
musical compression or haste. Instead the music again has time to
breathe and the results are accordingly joyous and profoundly affirmative
of creativity.
Such is the abundance of life here that listeners might feel aggrieved
at missing out on witnessing the performances in the flesh. The value
of this recording is thus writ even larger.
Nic Jones, All
About Jazz, USA, March 2008
Klaus
Nüchtern, Falter, Österreich, Nr. 15 / 2007
to:
www.intaktrec.ch
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