“West of the Moon” was recorded by “Georg Graewe Franz Koglmann Quintet” – it’s Franz Koglman (Flugelhorn, Trumpet), Georg Graewe (Piano, Organ), Michael Moore (Clarinet, Alto Saxophone, Vibraphone on 7 track), Robert Landfermann (Bass) and Gerry Hemingway (Drums). The music is based on free improvisation and avant-garde jazz. All musicians are mixing up together all kinds of playing techniques, expressions, moods and styles – they have an unique sound, bright and evocative playing manner, masterful virtuosity and innovative point of view.
Interesting instrumental combos, eclectic stylistic allusions and original ways of playing are extracted and integrated in the compositions of “West of the Moon”. Bright shining riffs, charming passages, remarkable melodies, gorgeous tunes, strange timbres, sonoristic experiments and the research of extended, original and evocative ways of playing. Each musician is bringing new colors and turns to the compositions – finally that makes an effort to multi-colorful and universal musical pattern. Evocative, extended, experimental and specific ways of playing mixed together with rare combos, exotic tunes and stylistic allusions make the fundaments of innovative instrumentation. The musicians don’t hesitate to experiment – they’re searching to new ways of playing, expanding the comfort zone of sound and integrating radical and provocative musical decisions. Flugelhorn and trumpet by Franz Koglman, piano and organ by George Graewe and clarinet, alto saxophone and vibraphone by Michael Moore make the fundaments of melody line. It’s – contrasting, intriguing, twisting and expressive. All three musicians are experimentating on various fields of musical language – sonoristic experiments, gorgeous tunes and strange timbres are integrated to whole pattern. Melodic, claire and remarkable flugelhorn has a passionate and charming sound – it’s solemn pieces, tight bass line, repetitive series, impressive free improvisations and luminous culminations make an effective and bright sound. Perturbations, wild attacks, breaking culminations, demonstrative exclamations, growling, urgling and tremendous riffs – these elements are the basics of trumpet improvisations. Franz Koglman manages to blend together remarkable, charming, solemn and emotional flugelhorn and dramatic expressive trumpet. His improvisations are always filled with contrasts, twists, struggles, unpredictable virages, gorgeous passages and colorful ornaments. A great pianist George Graewe is demonstrating the best capacities of improvising – it’s a gentle combo of sparkling, passionate and dynamic piano and monumental, dramatic and deep organ. The contrasts between these two instruments are strongly highlighted – swingy, remarkable, bright, tremendous, passionate and light piano melodies are changed by deep, heavy, dark or sopgisticated, gentle and relaxing organ. Alto saxophone and clarinet by Michael Moore also is a source of colors, sounds and expressions. Vivid, bright, vital and luminous solos getting to radiant culminations, perturbating riffs, roaring tremendous blow outs or going down to deep, dark, silent and repetitive pieces. All wide range of elements and playing techniques is used here to make a bright and exclusive sound. Michael Moore sometimes also adds vibraphone – its natural, light, sweet and tiny ornaments, gorgeous timbres and soft rhythms are used as a great coloristic in 7 track. The cordial, dynamic and twisting improvisations by these three musicians make a remarkable, iintriguing and driving melody line. Deep, sophisticated, sometimes dark, abandonned and haunted, sometimes light, active and energetic – that’s the basics of bass improvisations. Robert Landfermann is making the melody line more colorful and dynamic, fullfilled with sudden attacks, strange timbres, passionate thrills, elegant soft passages, animated glissando and other expressions. He’s also putting more strange timbres, exotic tunes, rare combos and eclectic stylistic allusions to the musical pattern and background, and creates a tight and steady bass line, as well. Gerry Hemingway is mastering a bright and individual rhythmic section – expressive nervous bebop, complicated rhythms, explosing culminations, breaking sessions, extremely load thunders, silently soft murmurs, monotonous beats, percussion tunes of all ranges, gorgeous timbres, sonoristic experiments and original decisions make an effort to expressive, dynamic and impressive rhythmic section. The music of this album is based on radical or provocative decisions gently integrated to intriguing solos, sudden changesm twists and contrasts.
05.12.2019
