Yamaha / Speed cs412

"So far we met Oliver Schwerdt two times in the Vital Weekly columns, as a member of the Old Luten 
Quintet with veteran Ernst Ludwig Petrowsky. So far this ended up in two CDs released on Schwerdt’s 
own Euphorium-label, but another release is to be expected in this series. However Schwerdt, a 
German jazz musician, improviser, musicologist and journalist, from Eisenach living nowadays in 
Leipzig, is already in the scene for a while. In 1999 for example he started his own Euphorium 
Freakastra. He uses several pseudonyms like Birg Borgental, Elan Pauer and the Dada-inspired name 
Ra Ra Da Boff.  As a musicologist he wrote the extensive work ‘Große Monografie zu Günter Baby 
Sommer und zum Räumlichen in der Musik’, a theoretical work on free jazz drummer Sommer. After 
releasing albums on his own Euphorium label for about ten years, playing with Axel Dörner, Leo 
Smith, Barre Philips and many others, time has come now for a first solo effort: ‘Prestige/No smoking’, 
an impressive double CD-recording. Paralleled by a second solo release for the Portuguese Creative 
Sources Recordings. ‘Prestige/ No Smoking’ was recorded on june 2nd, 2015 in Leipzig. Two days later 
the recordings for ‘Yamaha/Speed’ were made, having Schwerdt more or less in the same flow, shape 
and condition I suppose. Torsten Schroth excellently recorded both sessions in the same studio with 
Schwerdt playing on a Yamaha CFX. A first difference between the two releases: an extensive booklet 
accompanies the double CD with liner notes by Schwerdt, where as these are completely absent in her
 other release. Liner notes have Schwerdt interviewing himself, a quasi dialogue with and by himself. 
Is his solo improvisation also a kind of (quasi) dialogue, or is monologue the more fitting term?  One 
would say monologue, the more the recordings were made in the studio without the interaction with 
a public. But in the end I would say the term ‘inner dialogue’ is the most descriptive one. The double 
CD offers two lengthy and lively piano improvisations: ‘Prestige’(41:13) and ‘No Smoking’(48:26). I 
don’t know if this is Schwerdt’s normal time span. But two solo improvisations of over 40 minutes is 
quite an exercise. Also for the listener it is a long journey. But time passed by quickly, listening to 
these eloquent improvisations. He propels his improvisations full-energy forward, in a playful manner. 
It is one continuous overwhelming stream, with changes in speed, dynamics and intensity. Moments of 
silence are rare. Sometimes one-hand contrasts with what the other one is doing. At other moments 
they supplement one other in building and weaving giant structures. References to classical music and 
jazz are never too obvious. For this reason I compare him with Fred van Hove, of whom I recently 
reviewed a duo effort with Roger Turner. Where van Hove often plays the inside of the piano, Schwerdt 
keeps his fingers on the piano manual, not using so-called extended techniques. While listening I never 
had the feeling of ‘why doing this and not something else’. The music follows a strong inner logic. Same 
experience I had with his improvisations on ‘Yamaha/Speed’. Improvisations are shorter here, but of a 
similar style. Exciting music, played with spirit and enthusiasm by a gifted musician who knows well 
tradition and has his own story to tell. Dolf Mulder (Vital Weekly)

"Was muss ich da lesen? Nach dem Ende der ,großen Erzählungen‘ seien selbst beschei-denere ,Sprachspiele‘ (Wittgenstein) ((oder ,Sinnspiele‘, wie es der philosophische Gitar-rist Nicola Hein musikalisch transponiert hat)) auch keine Lösung? Sprachlosung, Quatsch, ,Sprachlosigkeit‘ droht dennoch nicht, zumindest nicht bei Dr. Schwerdt, der sich in ,Memoriabler Wechselrede‘ sogar verdoppelt, um aus dem Nähkästchen zu plaudern über Prestige / No Smoking (EUPH 053, 2 x CD) und Yamaha / Speed (Creative Sources Recordings, CS 412). Allerdings spielt er dabei als OLIVER SCHWERDT (am 2.6.2015) und sein Alter Ego ELAN PAUER (am 4.6. 2015) auch tatsächlich Doppelkopf in einem Spiegelsaal selbst- und anspielungsverliebter Reflexionen: Über Bill Evans' "Conversation with Myself", das Plattenlabel Prestige und das Prestige eines Piano-Solo-Albums. Über den Anspruch an sich selbst, "einen Dynamisierungsprozess von Ton-Folgen über den Spannungsbogen einer knappen Dreiviertelstunde zu ziehen". Über Kaffee und Fitness und Schweiß als Gleitmittel. Über Presto und Prestissimo und dessen Gegenpol, Smoke, klingende Leere, Stillstand. Über Jacques Demierres "One Is Land" (2008 auch auf Creative Sources) mit den Polen ,Sea Smell‘ & ,Land Smell‘. Über Halluzinationen auf einem Speedboat (Modell Power der slowenischen Werft Elan). Über unerkannte Akrosticha wie Elaborate Lines And Natty Pianisms Are Unerringly, Entirely Remarkable, zugeeignet durch Evan Parker. Über Cecil Taylors "Erzulie Maketh Scent" (1989), Schlippenbachs "Twelve Tone Tales" (2006) und Fred van Hoves 'Berliner Roll' (auf "Facetten: Live at Total Music Meeting 2004") als olympische Maßgaben für das eigene Bestreben. Über die deleuze-guattarische Überführung des gekerbten Raums (des Sesshaften) in den glatten (des Nomadischen), in die horizontale Vorwärtsbewegung einer Reise. Über durchdrehende Geschwindigkeit als Stillstand, als Bewegung auf der Stelle. Über den Übergang vom zählbaren zum ,glatten Zeit-Raum‘ ohne Zahl, zu Myriaden von Tönen, einem Meer von Tönen. Anthony Pateras hat das auf "Blood Stretched Out" eigenhändig vorgemacht (quasi mit Blut als Gleitmittel) und, vielhändig-virtuell, zusammen mit Chris Abrahams als "Music in Eight Octaves". Der Leipziger Olympionike ver-schweißt die motorische Intelligenz seiner Finger bei ihrem Ritt über die gerippelten Wellenkämme mit Gedankensprüngen über die Kerben und Schlaglöcher auf Nep-tunes Fluss ohne Ufer, mit Rösselsprüngen eines maritimen Rodeos. Fernab jeder Speedboatmetaphorik und mit entschieden cisatlantischer Prägung scheinen im wogenden Auf und Ab Nach- und Nachtgedanken prämotorischer Jahrzehnte mitzuschwingen: Heines wüstes Meer, Bürgers schnell reitende Tote, Peer Gynts stolpernder Taumel. Bei 'Farewell' schöpft er eine Handvoll Wehmut wie in alter Zeit. Man darf sich Schwerdts Klangräume nicht gespalten vorstellen, vielmehr geschachtelt, in sich gestaucht, gedehnt, geschäumt. Mit die am heftigst rumorenden Verdichtungen, Eruptionen, Intervallsprünge, Merkurialismen und sogar ein rigoros ostinates Einfingerdiktat finden sich im ,(lmo')‘-Part von ,No Smoking‘, wirrtuosest krabbelnde Bewegungen und equestrische Pace bei 'Yamaha' ebenso wie bei ,Speed‘. Schwert und Power, meinetwegen, aber vor allem ist er der Steuermann, der, unerringly, ein Weberschiffchen auf Kurs hält durch kabbeliges Schlingerland, durch Rossbreitrauch und Götterduft, durch Strudel, die der Kraken quirlt, auf Wogenbirg allein gestellt". Rigobert Dittmann (Bad Alchemy )

Whether concentrating on particular key patterns or the breath of orchestral textures available from a keyboard, solo piano digressions are unlike any other instrument’s singular presentation. Especially when it comes to the rarified atmosphere of pure improvised music, the patterns, programs and precision expressed is only limited by the conceptualization involved. Leipzig-based Elan Pauer and Boston native Eric Zinman may be playing the same basic instrument, but the results couldn’t be more different. Trying to avoid shibboleths, it still appears as if Pauer has a European take on the two extended and one short track that make up Yamaha/Speed, while Zinman’s 13 tracks are as wedded to American idioms as if they were wrapped in Old Glory.
As much movement and color Pauer, who has recorded with the likes of saxophonist Ernst-Ludwig Petrowsky and drummer Christian Lillinger, brings to his performance, an arrhythmic ennui hangs over the tracks. Obviously about 60 years after Free Music asserted itself, the German’s idea of rhythmic movement is different from the American’s. But in the same way, Zinman, who has recorded with stylists as different as bassist Benjamin Duboc and drummer Syd Smart, maintains links to a swinging beat, no matter how distant from that base his playing roams. Of course he cheats a bit, by also vibrating cymbals and parts of a drum kit as he plays.
Initially invested with moderato keyboard hunt-and-peck and inner string slashing, Pauer’s “Yamaha” becomes animated enough by its mid-section to start to skip along. Like a visual artist obsessively squeezing more oil paint onto an already paint-thickened multi-hued canvas, he rambles over the keys to saturate the evolving lines with maximum sonic tinctures. Reaching a crescendo, he slides the multiplied timbres into becoming a more regularized ramble. “Speed” offers more of the same, although the introductory section is more of an amble than a race. Conjuring up more power from the piano’s lower-pitched regions, pressurized glissandi and notes spill over the keyboard. With the subsequent pile up both massive and moving as the piece subsides.
Taking on the multi-string zither-like properties of the inner-piano motion in tandem with keyboard sprints, Zinman extends the piano functions into a tension-ridden narrative at the same time as he holds to simple rhythms to keep it from disintegrating in musical outer space. Recorded on various pianos in different places, by the fourth and fifth tracks, “The Story of L Part 1” and “The Story of L Part 2” though, his playing has become earthbound enough to dig below the surface to the darkest, most pressurized part of the instrument. As restraint kicks in so does ambidextrous interpolations, with a melody from one hand beginning even before a completely different one propelled by the other hand finishes. While other tracks demonstrate that without sacrificing rhythm, he can indulge in languid romantic-styled expositions; his distinguishing operations are taken with tremolo echoes. Galloping along “The Adventures of the “Yippy Coyote Dance Orchestra Part 1” and “The Adventures of the Yippy Coyote Dance Orchestra Part 2” pile up staccato keyboard extensions into small piles of accented, tones that sluice and slide with their own rhythm. By “… Part 2” the resolution involves speedy key clipping and rounded sweeps.
Apt demonstration of unavoidable variances when it comes to piano improvisation, either CD is self-contained enough to keep the listener engrossed. Ken Waxman (Jazzword)