Artist.......: Rolf Kuhn & Tri-O
Album........: Close Up
Label........: Jazzwerkstatt
Genre........: Jazz
Catnr........:
Source.......: CD (LP)
Rip.date.....: 2011-04-20
Str.date.....: 2010-11-16
Quality......: VBRkbps/44.1kHz/Joint Stereo
Url..........: http://www.rolf-kuehn.de
track title time
1. 29ff 7:52
2. Spacerunner 7:04
3. Mamarazzi 8:04
4. Auf Tauris 5:01
5. Lifeline 6:11
6. Den Lille Havfrue 8:39
7. D-Train 8:35
8. L'Hibou Et Le Noyeur 4:51
9. Honey Suck My Nose 1:27
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57:44
Runtime 57:44
Size 104.96
Release Notes:
Rolph Kuhn is without a doubt one of the best jazz clarinetists, and he has
actively participated in the history of jazz in the last sixty years (he is now
80), playing amongst others in radio big bands, playing in the Benny Goodman
orchestra, with Tommy Dorsey, becoming the director of the German TV orchestra.
The amazing thing about the music on this CD, is that it sounds so fresh and
full of musical wonder, as if a child discovers a new world and watches it full
of perplexity and admiration. That's not only the feeling you get as a listener,
but you also have the impression that the musicians themselves share the same
feeling.
That being said, even if there is quite some free form, this music swings from
beginning to end, albeit often very implicitly. The themes and melodies are
often quite complex, with rhythm and tempo changes, long unison lines, sudden
twists and turns, yet leaving quite some space for improvisation, emotional
development too, and even into real avant-garde moments (just listen to the long
middle excursion on "D-Train").
Kuhn's mastery of the jazz idiom is admirable, yet instead of being stuck into
it, he keeps changing it, surrounding himself with young(er) musicians who add
the right touches of new sounds into the mix. They are Ronny Graupe on guitar,
Johannes Fink on bass and Christian Lillinger on drums, with Matthias Schriefl
on trumpet on two tracks, and they are fabulous in co-developing and performing
Kuhn's musical vision. And their technical skills are truly excellent. I wrote
positively about Lillinger's drumming before, and about Lillinger's and Graupe's
skills on Hyperactive Kid. And so are Fink and Schriefl, a pleasure to hear the
subtletly, confidence and flexibility they have. The real star, no doubt, is
Kuhn himself.
To have this level of musical creativity, integrity, and open-mindedness at
Kuhn's age is remarkable, but even without that knowledge, the music on this
album is really strong, measured and passionate.