Welome to the twilight zone between avant-garde jazz and con
Chazz | Long Beach, CA USA | 08/02/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Twin brothers Marcin and Bartlomiej (Brat) Oles are only 33 years old but their list of artistic collaborations reads like the "Who's Who in Experimental Jazz Music" and includes such heavy weights like David Murray, Ken Vandermark, Kenny Werner, Anthony Coleman, Rudi Mahall, Albrecht Maurer, William Parker, and Hamid Drake, not to mention many fantastic Polish jazz musician brothers Oles collaborated with.
Their 2005 release `Directions', ads one more diamond to this constellation - Theo Jorgensmann. Germany-born bass clarinet Jorgensmann has been a fixture on the European music scene for four decades, equally appreciated for his solo works as well as for his alliances with (among others) Albert Maurer, Bobo Stenson, Andrea Centazzo, Barry Philips, Eckard Kolterman and Christopher Dell.
`Directions' is a second installment of Oles/Jorgensmann/Oles cooperation after 2003 NotTwo release `Miniatures'. Released on their own record label `Fenommedia' this new album revisits some of the same places that were previously explored on `Miniatures' - mostly the twilight zone between avant-garde jazz and contemporary chamber music. But this time the music has even more space and balance. The musicians are constantly alerted, open-minded; ready to give and receive the inputs, to inspire and to follow others leads. To quote Jorgensmann himself: `the new improvised music is not based on a relation between the sound and the form, but on balance of tempo and the direction of the movement, in other words on the developing of musical action. Figurations and abstractions are elements which have equal rights with rhythm and tempo in full spectrum contemporary improvised music, as characterized first of all by the art of shaping musical space-time.' Well said, maestro Jorgensmann, yes indeed. For the listeners it's fascinating to follow the interaction that is constantly present on the record between young Poles and the German master. The level of understanding and free flow of ideas is quite amazing; sometimes done on an almost telepathic level. Even though this degree of amazement should not surprise anybody familiar with some of the prior works of Jorgensmann and the Oles brothers, it is still, well... amazing.
The uniqueness of the album is reinforced by well balanced compositions by Barlomiej Oles, who wrote all of the tracks (except Per Rata by Marcin Oles and Giuffree and Aesthetic direction by Theo Jorgensmann).
`Directions' is an important statement on the state of improvised music at the beginning of the 21st century; the testimony that deals with all important questions: where improvised music end and where contemporary philharmonic music begin, are there really any borders between them, what is the current set of musical references, where are you coming from and what direction will you go? Perhaps, Marcin and Barlomiej Oles explain it the best: `the creation of improvised music consists of noticing all aspects of its development, obtaining inspiration not only from the black roots of jazz but also contemporary and concert music from across the entire rich variety of ethnic music. This enables jazz to travel new courses and flow in different directions. Everyone who lets themselves enter the music will hear how many different directions it follows'.
`Directions' has been already very well received in Europe, both by the jazz aficionados and critics. Poland's leading Internet jazz portal Diapazon.pl has chosen it as `The album of the Year' (2005). Hopefully, this difficult but very rewarding music will cross the Atlantic and find many more indiscriminating listeners.
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Track Listings (9) - Disc #1