Three years since already passed since I had the pleasure to review Melt Trio‘s 2nd album called Hymnolia. I liked it a lot and kept going back to it and listen to as nothing newer was available around to listen to until now. The band however didn’t go to sleep and kept polishing their skills by constantly touring as well as being involved in numerous collaborations with Jan Bang, Tony Malaby, John Hollenbeck, Theo Blackman or Jim Black alike.

All this resulted in much more confidence and synergy to become audible in the latest Trio’s outcome. They always had a strong sense of the direction in which they are going to and it remains valid even more now. Saying that they possess immediately recognisable sound would be kind of trivial as they already had it on the first date. But something definitely had been changed in group’s general sonic universe. The most noble thing is that their sound gained more integrity. It became so smooth and organic that the listener almost forgets to notice the electronics involved in a performance. They merged their acoustic sound with all layers of electronica into one single coherent image.

It is audible from the opening Crescending, where as per title two guitars and drummer keep dialoguing in repetitive circles. Until the crescendos reach their climax and can be re set and repeated over and over again. Dangerously titled Cassandra Complex finds crescending circles glittering in the air with some tension realise moments appearing but no disastrous brake. Congo Square brakes this hypnotic invocation introducing some percussion patterns which are starting to challenge so far so smooth galactic journey and some nebulous sound from both electronically tweaked guitars are starting to contradict this new order in return.

Hybris I is a show off for drummer skills here. He can clearly demonstrate how his fragile percussive framework makes a trellis for both guitars to climb up unspoiled. On contrary Hybris II, starting with much more disturbing patterns is showing both guitarists ability for trap avoiding. Smooth outro makes a gentle bridge to title Stroy. Here the subject comes to the shape from under the gentle touches of all the musicians. A title intending to mean an opposite to destroy, so The Stroy is shown as a creative element in this word play.

On this recording I can not find any trace of nervous interaction, or if you wish more rock style like harshness, where on the previous one’s such a shifts are a part of their style yet. It looks like the Trio developed a completely new own language with all the ingredients being present and if one is to look inside carefully you never get this being noticeably thrown straight at you. Also the function of both guitars became less formal. Bass is not just holding the grip only any more, but often takes a lead leaving the guitar behind or going hand in hand with it together.

The Heiliger Dankgesang, closing this recording is matching the mood of the whole recording despite of the fact it is based on excerpts from 3rd movement of Beethoven String Quartet N.15. Without this fact being indicated it would be difficult to spot. That once more shows how Melt Trio’s melting skills vastly increased during these past three years only.

Arne Jansen, a well known Berlin based guitarist comes back with his 4th recording. After short flirt with ACT he is back in the label he started with. And with an equally delightful company. His former drummer , Eric Schaefer ( Demontage ,[em]) is present on this recording as well. Bassist Eva Kruse, Eric’ [em] counterpart had been replaced by the young bass-man and cellist Robert Lucaciu ,whom I had a pleasure to listen to playing in Eva Klesse‘s Quartet recently.

Jensen, a multi-rewarded guitarist in his native country Germany is recognised to be one of the best if not the best jazz guitarists the German stage ever got/ seen ?. Listening to this CD it is easy to see why it is like that. First what strikes you is the incredible transparency of his composition and the way it is executed. Connection inside the band is like a well oiled machine – everything goes forward smoothly with no need to ask questions. His guitar keeps floating over a solid rhythmic foundation from the first to the last note.

More of that even if he stays as a main story teller there all the time the presence of the others is equally straight forward. Schaefer’s drumming stays in a constant dialogue during this performance. So is the bass ,which not only holds the groove but interacts with a guitar tissue and adds to the gravity. The beauty of Jansen’s compositions is laying in the fact that they are equally demanding for every musician taking part of the act. You can’t just be there and play your part in the background. The structure comes out in the way that both the drummer and the bass-man are more like co-soloists all the time with the lines which Jansen composed for them than let’s say the rhythm section. It is difficult to articulate why it is like that, but it can easily be heard.

Opening Here we go strikes with a fast tempo but all recording contains hefty mix of both. Ballads like Deep Wood or It’s Always Night or Klingsors Last Summer are among the most beautiful compositions on this recording. This is where all partners have all the space given to shine. With a lot of space perfection of the articulation and the beauty of the timbers on the guitar and double bass are hypnotising. The enormity of shades coming out of Eric’s cymbals are truly amazing. So is the feeling of the unenforced stroke and the time given to notes to delay and fade into the background.

Arne’s style,if someone would like to analyse that instead of just purely enjoying it and immersing themselves into the sound, holds a lot of inspiration to be traced and it is great fun too to get into the puzzle. Echoes of Metheny‘s and inspiration of Scofield can obviously be heard, but mostly in the way he holds the story going , not the way he articulates. His long notes are coming with no tension and in my feeling it is a unique sense of time what makes him so special. The best to note it is to listen carefully to Between Two Moons, where Lucaciu’s elegant Arcos come as an extra treat for your ears.

Closing He Who Counts the Stars with the quest cello appearance by Stephan Braun is like a lovely lullaby where gentle guitar tin whistles are flying over beautifully lyrical and clean voice of the cello nicely anchored in a middle registers.

This recording is such a pleasure to listen to that I simply don’t want it to stop and come to the end and probably everyone will be about to feel the same. Come joy and stay forever.

It is a nice challenge to write about a movie I haven’t been watching yet. Especially pleasing that this one is about the Chet Baker. Director Rob Budreau’s picture loosely plays with Chet’s biography with the focus set on the particular period of the middle 60’s when he was trying to catch up with show business again. Ethan Hawke stars as the trumpeter and even sings a couple of tunes there himself.

Young Berlin based pianist Clara Haberkamp might be a newcomer to me but a bit of research shows that she has already some established history behind her as well as some recordings done. So are her band-mates bassist Dan Peter Sundland and drummer Tilo Weber. Therefore I do not have any key knowledge about her music. Or have neither set ahead any expectations.

This is only for good as from the first notes of the opening of the title piece it all sounded fresh and breezy. The sound she offers is very relaxed and narrative at the same time . Melody appears and goes to hide behind repetitive fingering patterns. It has a lot of intellectual twists like you might thing it is just played at hoc as the thoughts go.

Bass lines are underlining piano chords nicely and it is almost all you can hear. You need to think about it twice to actually bring up the fact that there is a drummer too. He has such a talent to stay behind that it all sounds almost like a duo, or often solo act.

Lines of Glass coming after is actually possessing the same kind of intimacy, that should be expected giving the fact that is with a single exception only her own music. Here for the first time we can hear her singing. She has nice and smooth soprano and uses her voice with a similar way as the piano. It is half sung , half narrative, melodic enough to be a song but with lyrics matured to justify being a poem. Voice never goes bright, even in high registers.

Another song, Inside Out, offers more as a song. It has a rhythm and choruses deliberately weaved among the piano passages. And section framework supports it fully to build the drama and counterpoint piano culminations crowning upcoming choruses. Reflective Pink Leave is gentle and melancholic and it feels exactly like watching Autumn leaves falling. It makes nice intro into Walt Whitman’s lyrics (mentioned above exception) to which she composed the music. This is really mature arrangement with vocalise close to what Norma Winston is doing. Choir-like multiple voice of her own sampled into the mix in repetitive choruses adds to arrangement’s simplicity and originality.

In similar way coming after Surfaces is nicely framing it out with its nostalgic and intellectual reflection spelled into piano lines. Here again I can’t marvel myself enough with an amazing drummer’s skills who is there but I is almost like he is not at all. Those two are communicating on the telepathic level as it goes far above what practice and time only can do. Twenty-six might indicate her age or have another meaning I am not aware of but this is simply wonderful music. Focused on listening to your inner voice kind of like we had heard before from Paul Bley or Bobo Stenson.

And , my God , this drummer again. I would buy this record for this single piece of music only! Not mentioning the bassists wonderful lines here which contributed to the overall joy. That would be an unacceptable cruelty. This Suits Me would be another almost straight forward song with a piano accompaniment. If only piano clusters and wonderful e-bass introduction didn’t brake a structure to bring some theatrical reflection to hit the surface. Following From an Actor’s Perspective with repetitive rows of chords filled up with lovely fingered into the piece onomatopoeic lines is a fantastic exercise to follow. A Glimpse , percussion interlude gives a taste of drummer’s skills and what he can do if someone only leaves him alone for a minute.

Within going to other titles left for you to be discovered for your own there is that much I can say. I absolutely adore this recording, the pianist and the trio as it comes. She steps on the ground firmly and is finding her paths in such a natural intuitive way that makes you feel that an order had been invited only to make you a slave. With a drummer like Weber who can fly high and has no fear. She already doesn’t which is great. Gravity is equally well prevented here ,so I can only say I want more and more from them and the sooner the better.

ORANGE BLOSSOM TRAUMTON PR