02 Nov

[ November the 4th, 2022 release on NotTwo Records: Gebhard Ullmann, The Chicago Plan – For New Zealand &on Leo Records: Gebhard Ullmann, The Clarinet Trio –Transformations and Further Passages ]

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German saxophonist/composer Gebhard Ullmann celebrates his 65th birthday with three diverse, inventive new releases

On November 4, 2022, NotTwo Records will release For New Zealand by Ullmann’s transatlantic quartet The Chicago Plan

&
Leo Records will release Transformations and Further Passages, the sixth outing by The Clarinet Trio

February 6, 2023 will see the third outing by the experimental electro-acoustic band Das Kondensat, Andere Planeten, via WhyPlayJazz

“Few improvising artists can boast the stream of creative ideas that seem to bubble from Gebhard Ullmann… [He] leaves the strong mark of a disciplined sculptor of sound, who speaks his own compelling language.” — Steven Loewy, Cadence

“[Ullmann] knows when to pull which tool out of the chest, and he uses the many devices at his disposal as means to an end, shaping his improvisations like a sculptor.”— Neil Tesser, Chicago Reader

23 Jul

[ July the 30th, 2021 release on Not Two records: Barry Altschul’s The 3dom Factor – Long Tall Sunshine ]

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release date: 30.07.2021 on Not Two

“Altschul remains a master drummer and bandleader. Long Tall Sunshine pulls off a delightful paradox: it combines in-your-face vigor with subtlety, probing free improvisations with appealing compositions.” – Michael Ullman, Arts Fuse

“And so this album goes: surprise after surprise…Clearly one of the most exciting jazz recordings ever made!” – Lynn Bayley, Art Music Lounge

On The Long Tall Sunshine, Not Two, reconvenes Altschul’s adventurous group. Three, as those of us who grew up on Schoolhouse Rock will remember, truly is a magic number. It’s enshrined in the name of The 3dom Factor, the astounding trio led by legendary drummer/improviser Barry Altschul for the last decade or so. That sobriquet reflects the vital importance of all three voices in the band: not only Altschul’s powerful, ever-inquisitive drumming, but the tirelessly venturesome saxophone playing of Jon Irabagon and the acrobatic muscularity of bass great Joe Fonda.

06 Nov

[ November the 6th,2020 release via Not Two Records: Satoko Fujii, Natsuki Tamura & Ramon Lopez – Mantle ]

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release date: 6.11.2020 via NOT TWO records

“Over the decades, Japanese pianist Satoko Fujii has demonstrated uncanny power and musicality as a considerable force in the avant-garde end of the jazz spectrum.”— Josef Woodard, DownBeat

“Lopez does a fine job of fusing genres and styles while dispelling those old rumors that drums are not musical instruments.” — Glenn Astarita, All About Jazz

“…Tamura’s trumpet is lyrically beautiful and commanding.” ― Andy Hamilton, Wire

On their debut release, Mantle , pianist Satoko Fujii, trumpeter Natsuki Tamura, and drummer Ramon Lopez challenged themselves. Working together for the first time as a trio, they not only developed themselves into a working ensemble, but they wrote music that explored the potential of the group, each piece pushing and inspiring them in a different way. The result is an album of unfailing surprise and invention played by a group that listens closely and responds to one another on a deep intuitive level.

05 Nov

[ November the 6th,2020 release via Not Two Records: Satoko Fujii & Natsuki Tamura – Pentas ]

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release date: 6.11.2020 via NOT TWO records

They “…draw deeply from a seeming perpetual wellspring of inspiration…. The bare bones instrumentation allows full appreciation of their virtues: inventive composerly craft; prodigious improvising prowess; a taut balance between melody and mayhem; and individual excursions which confirm the parameters of the charts as stimulating rather than limiting factors.” – John Sharpe, Point of Departure

“It’s rare to sense this level of intuition between musicians…” —Kurt Gottschalk, New York City Jazz Record

“Fujii and Tamura offer unsentimental beauty, space, silence and humour… Proof that improvised music can be emotionally engaging as well as ear tickling…” ― Peter Marsh, BBC Music Magazine

Pentas marks another milestone in Fujii and Tamura’s remarkable 23-year history as one of the most celebrated duos in contemporary improvised music. The new CD is among their most lyrical and polished, without sacrificing the exploratory invention and spontaneity that marks their best playing.

NOT TWO Records