light in dark corners |cs098

"München meets Glasgow" könnte man Light in Dark Corners (cs 098) überschreiben, denn im Saxophonquartett RICH IN KNUCKLES findet man Markus Heinze (*1970, München), der entsprechende Erfahrungen aus Le Fou Rohr mitbringt, ebenso wie Christoph Reiserer (*1966, Wasserburg am Inn). Die schottische Seite verkörpern Raymond MacDonald (The Burt/MacDonald Quartet) und Graeme Wilson, auch wenn der in Newcastle zuhause ist, denn zusammen mit MacDonald ist er eine Stütze des The Glasgow Improvisers Orchestra. Und ab geht die Katzenmusik, vierfach verzopft, manchmal wie verstopft oder verrostet, durchwegs zum Piepen. Katzenmusik ist eigentlich ein zu zahmes Wort für das brünftige Geröhre, Schnauben, Ploppen und heisere Oinken, wobei diese virtuos krause Kakophonie nie blindwütig tobt, vielmehr spielerisch seinen weichen Kern und Hang zu Süßholzraspelei offenlegt. Rigobert Dittmann (Bad Alchemy)

Electroacoustic music? No way!...what we’ve here is a saxophone quartet like mighty Rova or like World Saxophone Quartet (and like any other quartet with “Saxophone in the moniker, of course!), even if they’re creating a blend quite different to the one of the aforementioned band. Thought the nature is really different from Rova and World, there’s a radical jazzy feel in the way the team players cooperate and let’s say that I’ve also found some similarities with Peter Brotzmann or Evan Parker, but I’m conscious it’s like comparing a guitar player to Hendrix so please forgive me for this bullshit. Being a saxophone quartet this or that influence get mixed in a sort of knife fight, they’re not even loud like mighty Brotzmann and are lacking of that obsessivity sometimes is peculiar of Parker, I just mean this circular playing sometimes is involved in a brawl with some other merciless intervention or with something really different. These musicians have worked synergeticly during the whole session and the result is really enjoyable, above all if you’re into jazz-improvisiers trying to leave “free” back home and striving to go beyond their personal background, but at the same time these saxophonists are not afraid to play a full “phrase” that’s something you don’t have to take always for granted. That’s the point, the majority of the record is played with conviction and not “half chocked/suffocated” or “cut” like many improvisers of today that in this way pretend to be radical or intense while they’re just following another standard...a more radical one, but still a dogma remains. This release has its moments, in general a good work. Andrea Ferraris (Chain DLK)

Music by Raymond MacDonald, Graeme Wilson, Christoph Reiserer and Markus Henze: a group of four improvising saxophonists. There's something about the sound of this quartet which is quite baroque at times. Although there are totally free pieces, others were inspired by texts or images and they lock into underpinning patterns which sound quite arranged rather than being a free for all. To add to the enjoyable sounds there's a graphic score reproduced in the cd insert, which informs us that one piece was developed from an idea supplied by Fred Frith. Oh - also worth a mention - the first track, Tchai-Ovna, is a titular homage to one of our favourite small venues in Glasgow, where you can also (as the name suggests) get a super selection of teas! JC (Boa Melody Bar)