Manafonistas

 
 

 
 

 

BERLIN JAZZ FEST 2022 – a sound collage by Vilte Gustyte

 

 

s   o   u   n   d

 

 

In order of appearance:

 

Ben LaMar Gay – Mette Rasmussen – Olga Kozieł – Maryana Golovchenko – Nadine Deventer

 

Excerpts from:

 

The Hemphill Stringtet – Mette Rasmussen Trio North –

 

Sven-Åke Johansson: “MM Schäumend” – Siri/Carina – Die Hochstapler –

 

KOMПOUSSULĂ – OTTO – Brötzmann/Bekkas/Drake –

 

Asher Gamedze “Dialectic Soul” –

 

Blue For A Moment (film by Antoine Prum) – Camille Émaille Solo

 

Recorded at: A-Trane – Haus der Berliner Festspiele, 2022 November 3 – 6

 

 

My first Berlin Jazz Fest and I am late for the very first concert. I end up watching the live stream of The Hemphill Stringtet concert from Berlin Festspiele foyer bar. I sit down, I catch my breath and start recording. I hear the music coming from the small speakers and apparently, I am not the only one late – more and more people are gathering around the bar, getting their drinks and chatting silently. I am suddenly inside the festival.

 

And my journey starts, four days of sounds and discoveries, meetings and explorations. Listening back to the recordings after some time, I hear characters emerging like in a theater space. Each of them with their own stories, melodies, experiences. Exploring the places of inside and outside spaces. Through my own rememberings, I hear a celebration of cultures, coming together, and with each new encounter, a new unexpected place  … relation … improvisation.

 

Vilte Gustyte, originating from Vilnius, Lithuania, is a student of Sound Studies and Sonic Arts at Universität der Künste (UdK) Berlin. 

Transylvanian Folksongs by Lucian Ban, John Surman and Mat Maneri was an important part of the folk tradition strand of our Jazzfest Berlin last edition in November. As I was not able to attend the concert then at Kaiser Wilhelm Memory Church, I was glad of getting a second chance in Münster. It was a projective re-creation of the ‘retrojective’ field recordings and transcriptions of composer Bela Bartók. It couldn’t be expected a balkanised form of jazz. It revealed as the unfolding of song lines from a remote past inscribed in an airy layer stretching above the soil of a virtual ground.

 
 

 
 

The interplay between John Surman on bass clarinet and soprano sax and Mat Maneri was one of deep mutual understanding and careful meshing and confluence – confluence not in the temperate way, though, but more rubato, in mindful slowness gliding along microtonal fringes and edges. Thus both musicians created an intriguing collaborative working interim between the deep sources and the breath of the stage moment, all provided and sustained by Ban’s bedding of sparse melodic hints and falling rhythmic impulses.

 

The act of bringing in the distant sources manifested itself prismatically in the musicians‘ progressively unfolding flow of playing,  sharpening and deepening the listening experience as well as the bond with the listeners and their absorption in the music. In that process the music covered a considerable distance of transmission from its oral origins via Bartok’s recording and documentation to today’s realities of experience, to ‘reading’ and re-creation in the presence.

This procedure created an imaginative space to be acted out, getting enriched and projected into further momentum full of soulfulness and empathy. It transcended simple sentimentality and bathing in nostalgia. Mat Maneri and John Surman were in top form and Lucian Ban made them shine, especially in the touching “Violin Song”.  

 

Seen at International Jazzfestival Münster 2023

 

 

 

 

1

The monthly column of my colleague Peter Margasak from Berlin in THE QUIETUS

 

 

2

Paul Motian and Bill Evans

Why does BE’s playing from those times sounds so good every time again when listening until today? Is it his deeply sunken presence in the music and its fluency, the recording, its magic kind of dynamics?

 

 

3

JADE VISION – one of my ever-recurring favourites

 

 

 

(c)HB

Michael Shrieve

 

David Crosby has died. This one is tough for me. David was a part of my life since my high school days, when I was a huge fan of The Byrds. The first time I met David, was in RCA Studios in LA. It was 1968, I had taken my first ride on an airplane with Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Casady, from Jefferson Airplane,( I know, I know!) flying from San Francisco, on PSA Airlines, with stewardesses who were all beautiful, and in tight pink miniskirts! Jefferson Airplane were actually considering me as a drummer! Buddy Miles was also on the flight. It was memorable trip for several reasons. First, I was staying with Jorma and he had a bunch of visitors during the day. (Recording sessions, were at night, of course) A couple of notable visitors were Jim Morrison, and Eric Clapton who had brought a cassette of a band he was super exited about. They were called „The Band“. We went to the studio and I was just hanging out, with you know, Jefferson Airplane! And after awhile David Crosby walks in the studio wearing the famous green cape, and carrying a guitar. The band finished what they were working on and David breaks out his guitar, and they gather around him as he presents them with a song, called „Triad“, that The Byrds didn’t want to touch, because of the provocative lyrics; „Why can’t we be three?“ It was beautiful, haunting, and done in what was turning into the modal tune that would turn out to be a big part of David’s sound. It was a heady trip for a teenager. I never made it into the Airplane, but to this day, remain friends with Jorma and Jack. And not too much time later, I was in Santana. All good!

I think it was 1970 I bought my first home in Mill Valley. I believe the price was $62,000! Croz was one of the few LA musicians that was hanging out in Marin County with the Dead, and on Fulton St. in SF with the Airplane. David was living on a houseboat in Sausalito. He loved boats. We ran into each other a few times, and we really connected. We took a liking to each other. We both had an affinity, actually, a passion, for the Welsh Poet, Dylan Thomas. We would read him out loud to each other. „Under Milkwood“…“the sloeback, crowblack, fishing boat bobbing sea“. One day I was in Wally Heider Studios in SF, recording „Abraxas“ with Santana. Creedence Clearwater was recording there as well. David had booked the big room downstairs, and word was going around how these sessions were becoming rather epic. Neil Young, Jack Casady, Jorma, Grace Slick, Jerry Garcia and other members of the Dead, and oh, Joni Mitchell.

At some point Croz learned we were recording upstairs and came upstairs and asked myself and Gregg Rolie to come downstairs and play. We went down and entered the room, and the strong and pungent smell of really good pot, and incense, combined with the red, dimmed lighting, and Indian fabrics, letting you know that you were in a high class hippy vibe recording room. We played and it was such a different vibe than Santana, of course. It really felt like hippy music to me. It was so open, and cozy, so floaty! It felt strange, to be honest. It was an honor to be playing with these folks, of course. Garcia was always a welcome, uplifting presence.

 Later in life, David had a realistic approach to life, knowing that he had escaped death more than several times, and he made the most of, recording some of his best material in his late 70’s. He squeezed the most out his artistic life and, just two weeks ago was talking about going back on the road. I saw some of those shows, and the shows with Graham Nash They were all magnificent.  Here’s to you, my friend, my brother. I’m going smoke a big fat one now in honor of you, while listening to your music.
 
 
„DO NOT GO GENTLE INTO THAT GOOD NIGHT.

OLD AGE SHOULD BURN AND RAVE AT CLOSE OF DAY;

RAGE, RAGE, RAGE AGAINST THE DYING OF THE LIGHT.

THOUGH WISE MEN AT THEIR END KNOW DARK IS RIGHT

BECAUSE THEIR WORDS HAD FORKED NO LIGHTENING, THEY

DO NOT GO GENTLE INTO THAT GOOD NIGHT.

 

 

Bob Dylan 

 

He was a colorful and unpredictable character, wore a Mandrake the Magician cape, didn’t get along with too many people and had a beautiful voice, an architect of harmony. He  could freak out a whole city block all by himself. I liked him a lot…

 

 

Joan Baez

 

In 1965, Bob Dylan and I were discussing the state of the music scene. He said The Byrds, who had made a hit of “Mr. Tambourine Man,” were the only thing happening musically at that point in time.Perhaps an exaggeration, but certainly a tribute to the stellar musicians who formed the budding monster groups of the years to come like The Byrds and CSNY.

 

David Crosby was among the monster group icons who continued a solo career with the kind of success reserved for great musicians. And he could sing the hell out of a harmony.

He was also a friend to me. He was always, I repeat, always present for me, to defend my character and politics, and often included over the top (sometimes unwarranted) praise. He was funny, clever, and refreshing to be around. And I was honored that he chose my portrait of him as his last album cover.

He will be missed by millions, including myself. Sending my love to Jan and his family.

 
 

 

Auch wenn ich nicht der gröBte Liebhaber von Jahreslisten bin, mach ich doch hie und da mit. Eine der letzten Listen im jährlichen Aufmarsch ist der EL INTRUSO Critics Poll, an dem mehr als 60 Kritiker weltweit teilnahmen. Die Bandbreite an verschiedenen musikalischen Universen und Hör(er)dramaturgien bleibt erstaunlich und das Gesamtergebnis hat seine bedenklichen und merkwürdigen Seiten. Ab und zu geht’s auf keine Kuhhaut, zB wenn Musiker und Gruppen genannt werden, die nicht oder kaum noch auftreten (für mich eine zentrale GröBe) oder sogar schon nicht mehr leben. Viele sitzen sehr in eigener Höhle. Es ist die allerdings die Evidenz der Tatsächlichkeit und man kann noch das eine oder andere entdecken.

 

Immer noch schlicht ein Skandal, dass wieder so wenige Europäer einen gebührenden Platz bekommen haben. Das geht anno 2022 gar nicht mehr. Rodrigo Amado ist schon länger die groBe Ausnahmen, auf die sich viele einigen können.

 

Ich habe mich daran orientiert, welche Gruppen und Musiker ich tatsächlich live gesehen habe oder die auch sonst verfolgen konnte. Und es kam mir darauf an, jüngere Musiker als Gegengewicht einzubringen. Und einige Male, habe ich mich dafür entschieden, nicht den groBen Namen zu bringen, sondern einen hervorragenden anderen, der Aufmerksamkeit verdient. Joe Lovano gehört bei den Tenorsaxophonisten sicherlich zu den gröBten, aber Tobias Delius musste von mir aus diesmal Erwähnung finden. Das Problem bei solchen Listen ist ja auch, dass es keine klaren, für alle leitenden Kriterien gibt und somit automatisch ein Sammelsurium programmiert ist. Es stellt sich dann aber am Ende heraus, wer – aus welchen guten oder zweifelhaften Gründen – hoch btw. am höchsten gehandelt wird. Hier meine Liste auf Elintruso und HIER der Link zum gesamten Panoptikum:

 
 
 

EL INTRUSO 2022

Henning Bolte

 
 

Musician of the Year:

Sylvie Courvoisier, Ingebrigt Håker Flaten,  Alexander Hawkins 

 

Newcomer Musician: 

Nick Dunston, Kateryna Ziabliuk, Sun-Mi Hong 

 

Group of the Year:

Kaja Draksler Octet  

Amir ElSaffar Rivers Of Sound

Paal-Nilssen Love Circus 

 

Newcomer Group: 

Pietre  (Alessandro Fongaro/Nicolo Ricci/Jesse Schilderink/Sun-Mi Hong)

Økse (Mette Rasmussen/Petter Eldh, Savanna Harris, Val Jeanty)

Mysterial Layers (Sanem Kalfa, Marta Warelis, Tineke Postma, Sun-Mi Hong)

 

Album of the Year:

Jakob Bro/Joe Lovano – Once Around The Room (A Tribute To Paul Motian). ECM

Ruben Machtelinckx/Arve Henriksen – A Short Story. Aspen Edities

Vadim Neselovskyi – Odesa – A Musical Walk Through A Legendary City. Sunnyside

 

Composer: 

Amir ElSaffar, Roberto Bonati, Petter Eldh

 

Drums:

Hamid Drake, Jim Black, Michele Rabbia

 

Acoustic Bass:

Claude Tchamitchian, Thomas Morgan, Petter Eldh

 

Electric Bass:

Steve Swallow, Simon Jermyn, Dan Peter Sundland 

 

Guitar:

Eivind Aarset, Gordon Grdina, Marc Ducret 

 

Piano:

Sylvie Courvoisier, Kris Davis, Jason Moran

 

Keyboards/Synthesizer/Organ:

Craig Taborn, Dan Nicholls, Kit Downs

 

Tenor Saxophone:

Rodrigo Amado, Charles Lloyd, Tobias Delius

 

Alto Saxophone:

Steve Coleman, Mette Rasmussen, Silke Eberhard

 

Baritone Saxophone:

Mats Gustafsson, Guiseppe Doronzo, John Dikeman

 

Soprano Saxophone:

Alexandra Grimal  

 

Trumpet/Cornet:

Amir ElSaffar, Ambrose Akinmusire, Arve Henriksen 

 

Clarinet/Bass Clarinet:

Aviva Endean, Oguz Büyükberber, Louis Sclavis

 

Trombone:

Jacob Garchik, Samuel Blaser, Gianluca Petrella  

 

Flute:

Naïssam Jalal, Sylvaine Hélary, Mark Alban Lotz

 

Violin/Viola:

Régis Huby, George Dumitriu, Mat Maneri

 

Cello:

Vincent Courtois, Tomeka Reid, Judith Hamann

 

Vibraphone:

Taiko Saito, Pasquale Mirra, Christopher Dell

 

Electronics:

Jan Bang, Ikue Mori, David Torn 

 

Other Instruments:

Gordon Grdina (oud), Mishiyo Yagi (koto), Sophie Bernado (bassoon)

 

Female Vocals:

Elaine Mitchener, Sanem Kalfa, Sunny Kim 

 

Male Vocals:

Theo Bleckmann   

 

Record Label:

Clean Feed, Relative Pitch Records, Pyroclastic Records

 

War is a lesser or greater part of human’s daily reality. Almost a year ago it came very close to all of us and changed a lot. We don’t have to be speechless and also can dance. 

 

It has left its traces in music openly, subliminal, hidden, furiously, shadowing, encouragingly, desperately, hopefully …  I posted an example by Jason Moran from Saalfelden. Here’s is another one by Arve Henriksen in trio with Jakob Bro and Jorge Rossy. It was February 25 at Amsterdam Bimhuis, the day after RuZia’s raid on Ukraine … It’s these emerging moments that stuck. Here an impression in four (short) steps:

 
 

VIDEO 1

 

VIDEO 2

 

VIDEO 3

 

VIDEO 4

 

Among the great amount of concerts I attended in 2022, for me personally  Jason Moran’s solo concert at Jazz Festival Saalfelden 2022, Austria, captivated me the most and has a special place in my memory.

 

Not all spectacular appearances are outstanding vice versa. Close to each other are outstanding and extraordinary musicianship. The predicate ‘outstanding’ applies above all to the solo-concert of Jason Moran at the intimate Nexus venue: a performance of a category and class of itself. He excelled by great discursive wealth and narrative gift in connecting spots from musical history, in relating music to social realities and spirit plus his connectedness to different art forms and dramaturgical framings.

 

He started quite casual, parlando, and step by step led the audience along a series of significant landmarks of increasing intensity and density – all on the basis of a clear and trustful self-evidence. No nimbus game, all was what it was and open to take in. And then all of a sudden the temperature increased … He did not leave it at that but went on a trembling expedition into darker tonalities that conjured an ominously rumbling world of sound. It was a non-expectable turn, forceful and memorable, at the end of his concert, a strong trembling sound comment on the present state of our world (if you want to take it as that).

 

Here are two video’s that can give an indication what it was and what happened …

 

 

VIDEO 1

 

VIDEO 2

 

 

More about mountain, waves of sound, people and pebbles you can read HERE – it’s a summerly recollection of 2022 musical moments in an alpine environment.