Chess Music cs801

Not only improvised by also international, the aleatoric chess game sustained over this CD’s almost 41 minutes depicts sophisticated lower case sounds which sometimes accelerate to block capitals. A first time meeting of accomplished creative musicians the quartet encompasses German trumpeter Axel Dörner, Portuguese cellist Guilherme Rodrigues, American percussionist Stephen Flinn and Korean tenor saxophonist Jung-Jae Kim. Except for Kim, leader of the JJ Motion band, all have extensive experience in similar settings on both sides of the Atlantic
Usually the trumpeter’s choked reflux, the saxophonist’s thin textures and the cellist’s string ratchets and pops unexpectedly inflate in tandem from hushed tones, to a strident mixture of  reed whistles, string squeaks and brass bites. Almost immediately though that crescendo shatters into brittle brass rips, cello string-stropping and isolated reed split tones. More repressed than the others, Flinn limits his contributions to random  drum rumbles, stick pops  or brief cymbal scratches, infrequently linking to horn breaths or distracted string twangs.
Evolving at a languid pace, punctuated by near-silent intervals, the improvisation eventually reaches a climax in its penultimate sequence, abruptly layering tremolo cello thrusts, whistling reed tones, the trumpeter’s half-valve smears and rotating, unattached cymbal pings. With the affiliated pressure remaining, but group sound deflating, string strums, reed growls and brass sputters give way to a conclusion defined by echoes from a heavily struck gong. Analogous to the hushed concentration of a chess match, fascination of this disc lies in following how these improv masters plot and express every move. Ken Waxman (JazzWord)

The aleatoric chess game sustained over this CD's almost 41 minutes depicts sophisticated lower case sounds which sometimes accelerates to block capitals. A first-time meeting of accomplished creative musicians, the international quartet encompasses German trumpeter Axel Dörner, Portuguese cellist Guilherme Rodrigues, American percussionist Stephen Flinn and Korean tenor saxophonist Jung-Jae Kim. Except for Kim, leader of the JJ Motion band, all have extensive experience in similar settings on both sides of the Atlantic
Usually the trumpeter's choked reflux, the saxophonist's thin textures and the cellist's string ratchets and pops unexpectedly inflate in tandem from hushed tones to a strident mixture of reed whistles, string squeaks and brass bites. Almost immediately though that crescendo shatters into brittle brass rips, cello string-stropping and isolated reed split tones.
More repressed than the others, Flinn limits his contributions to random drum rumbles, stick pops or brief cymbal scratches, infrequently linking to horn breaths or distracted string twangs.
Evolving at a languid pace, punctuated by near-silent intervals, the improvisation eventually reaches a climax in its penultimate sequence, abruptly layering tremolo cello thrusts, whistling reed tones, the trumpeter's half-valve smears and rotating, unattached cymbal pings. With the affiliated pressure remaining, but group sound deflating, string strums, reed growls and brass sputters give way to a conclusion defined by echoes from a heavily struck gong.
Analogous to the hushed concentration of a chess match, the fascination of this disc lies in following how these improv masters plot and express every move. Ken Waxman (The Squid’s Ear)

Dans la droite ligne des albums des débuts du label Creative Sources, une musique « minimaliste », « réductionniste ». Chess Music, sans doute parce qu’on avance coup par coup entre des moments de réflexion - silences mesurés comme dans une partie d’échec. Le souffle d’Axel Dörner traverse le tube de sa trompette au bord du silence ou en produisant une sonorité blanche indifférencié avec une seule note tenue un bref instant, quand ce n’est pas. L’archet de Guilherme Rodrigues percute une ou deux cordes bloquées de son violoncelle ou griffe celles-ci en grinçant. Jung-Jae Kim émet des « pop » sur l’anche de son saxophone ténor ou émet une crescendo grumeleux. Le percussionniste Stephen Flinn fait discrètement vibrer ou gronder les peaux de sa caisse claire et de sa grosse caisse à l’horizontale avec peu d’accessoires : mailloches une mini-cymbale et un bol métallique évasé. Frottements variés, subtiles mises en vibration de l’air qui résonne sous la peau. Succions du bec du sax, grésillements, bruitages ventilés du pavillon de la trompette, éclats des lèvres - harmoniques dans l’embouchure, glissandi oscillant à l’archet sur les cordes, pizzicato distrait ou crissements aigus insistants au violoncelle. Agrégats – strates sonores en suspens. Et silences. Lentement, presqu’insensiblement les effets sonores naissent, disparaissent, se diversifient, s’atténuent ou s’affirment, s’ajoutent et se soustraient. Bien plus qu’un exercice de style, c’est une réalité sonore et vibratile immanente, qui transcende ces techniques instrumentales ultra « alternatives » dans une construction temporelle presqu’immobile, sensitive immergée dans la perception du silence du lieu et du bruit incorporé dans une action musicale. Une seule performance de 40 :53 qui exprime très bien l’élasticité de la durée ressentie dans le temps et suscite une écoute intense des moindres sons – bruits – vibrations – silences. Jean-Michel Van Schouwburg (Orynx)