Flying Heart
| Flying Heart | ||||
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| Studio album by Kokotob: Taiko Saitō , Niko Meinhold & Tobias Schirmer | ||||
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Publication |
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| Label (s) | Clean Feed Records | |||
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Format (s) |
CD |
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Title (number) |
10 |
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running time |
50:16 |
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| occupation |
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Studio (s) |
Studio H2, Berlin |
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Flying Heart is a jazz album by the Kokotob trio, consisting of Taiko Saitō , Niko Meinhold and Tobias Schirmer . The recordings were made on November 22nd and 23rd, 2015 in Studio H2, Berlin and appeared on Clean Feed Records in April 2017 .
background
In 2006 the vibraphonist Taiko Saitō and the pianist Niko Meinhold recorded a duo album entitled KoKo (Pirouet), on which a synthesis of classical and improvised jazz music was created. During this time Tobias Schirmer worked a. a. with Karsten Sitterle 's Code of Diseases . With the addition of clarinetist Tobias Schirmer, the trio already appeared at the Bonn Jazz Festival in 2010 .
Music of the album
Each of the pieces on the album develop "patiently and with a delicate arc," wrote Troy Dostert; At the beginning of “Waldboden” Meinhold plays on the inside of the piano to create a soundscape, while Schirmer and Saito gradually work out the theme of the piece. In “waves”, on the other hand, quickly played, repeated notes predominate; Meinhold and Saito support Schirmer's long, sustained passages on the bass clarinet , while he gradually builds up the tension until he finally ends the piece with a dramatic high-altitude frenzy. "The trust in minimalist gestures in these pieces enables a strong aggregative effect," wrote Dostert, which unfolds in everyone. “Etude in E-flat” is another example of the trio's use of repetitive figures , this time at a faster pace, with overwhelming results. In some pieces a more obvious lyrical aspect prevails, says Dostert, like in "Origami in Görlitzer Park ", in which Meinhold's generous warmth is shown on the keyboard and Schirmer's breath-stressed clarinet is used.
Track list
- Kokotob - Flying Heart (Clean Feed - CF431CD)
- Waldboden (Schirmer) 3:58
- Wellen (Meinhold) 7:17
- Origami in Görlitzer Park (Meinhold) 4:11
- Komodo No Komodo (Saito) 6:46
- Etude In Eb (Saito) 6:15
- Feldmännchen (Meinhold) 5:28
- 5 quarter (Meinhold) 5:08
- Bikkuri (Schirmer) 2:14
- Korokoro (Saito) 5:05
- Snow Moon Flower (Saito) 3:54
reception
According to Troy Dostert ( All About Jazz ), the trio "produced a deeply thoughtful, compelling album that relies as heavily on texture and mood as it does on obvious melodic gestures." The trio's music is carefully structured, with a meditative simplicity that are particularly impressive. Aside from the relatively short “Bikkuri,” a rousing improvisation that offers a lush interlude, most of the tracks are developed in a far more subtle way, often through repeated chords or ostinato phrases typically played by Saito or Meinhold or both, while Schirmer is with open, lazy phrases hover above the surface, with an earthy dimension in his playing, whereby he often only uses his breath to achieve the effect. According to the author, the trio “clearly strives for a collective product that creates a sound rather than a series of melodies.” The emotional effect of the music is also much more important than flashy technique or elaborate solo statements. Perhaps the most coherent piece is “Komodo No Kodomo”, which evokes a singable melody and gives Schirmer the opportunity to play a wonderful solo over Meinhold's and Saito's enchanting ostinato figures. More typical, however, is the strict "field man", "in which all three players rely on a few ideas and a few notes to create an abstract and yet somehow inviting musical world."
While his low key, low key tone may not appeal to those who like music with explosive solos or attention-grabbing execution, "there is a lot of high-quality artistry here, especially for those who want a more muted and introspective listening experience."
Derek Taylor wrote in Dusted that chamber music jazz in the spirit of Jimmy Giuffre 3 was an easily identifiable reference point for the trio, but the fifty-minute music that includes Flying Heart crosses many other musical milestones. Meinhold's “waves” are a haunting exercise with carefully coordinated dynamics , while Schirmer's bass clarinet circles around a shimmering ostinato that is built up by the calm, busy attacks of his colleagues. "The degree of porous pathos that is generated in the ascending and descending color field quickly becomes noticeable and continues in the memory after the players have come to a closely choreographed calm." "Origami in Gorlitzer Park" is the first of several Pieces that show the softer side of the trio when Saito turns the motor attached to its planks down onto a hollow resonance ring and Meinhold and Schirmer develop a beautiful melody that floats and dissipates. Scratching breath noises provide dissonance in addition to bent metal, but the magic, which seems like a lullaby, remains unbroken thanks to lush piano chords. Saito's marimba in “Komodo No Kodomo” gives the piece the softer acoustics; this goes perfectly with the rotating, raga-like motif that serves as the energy source for the melody. This performance reminds the author of artists like Keith Jarrett and the group Tangerine Dream .
An ostinato also serves as the fulcrum in Saito's “Etude in E-flat”, while Meinhold and the composer set up a grid-like rhythmic structure for Schirmer's playing to include him. Schirmer's erratic “Bikkuri” is characterized by tightly twisted staccato activities, in which the composer is in his most talkative state, and Saito and Meinhold lift irregular contrapuntal obstacles in free play . The title "Korokoro" builds on another circular, stepped shape as a characteristic for Schirmer's bass clarinet playing, "which is of its most sheer conciseness."
Web links
- Listing of the album on Allmusic (English). Retrieved November 17, 2019.
- Information about the album at Clean Feed Records
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d Troy Dostert: Kokotob: Flying Heart. All About Jazz, May 6, 2019, accessed October 7, 2019 .
- ↑ Tom Lord : The Jazz Discography (online, accessed November 17, 2019)
- ↑ Discographic information at Discogs
- ↑ a b Derek Taylor: Kokotob - Flying Heart (Clean Feed). July 25, 2017, accessed November 17, 2019 .