Record Reviews

PHILIPP GROPPER / PHILM ~ LICHT WHYPLAYJAZZ 007 (Barcode: 4050486070048) ~ GERMANY ~ Jazz Recorded: 2011 Released: 2012 This is the debut album by the quartet called PhilmFind albums by this artist, led by German saxophonist / composer Philipp GropperFind albums by this artist and including Norwegian pianist Havard WilkFind albums by this artist, Danish bassist Andreas LangFind albums by this artist and German drummer Oliver SteidleFind albums by this artist. Gropper is also known as the leader of the trio Hyperactive KidFind albums by this artist and the group TauFind albums by this artist, as well as a member of FUSKFind albums by this artist, SONNEFind albums by this artist and several other projects. With over thirty albums as a leader and sideman he is one of the most prolific German (Berlin based) Jazz musicians since the turn of the Millennium. The album presents six original compositions, all by Gropper. The music presents a set of passionate statements, beautifully crafted by their composer and wonderfully executed by the quartet, which combines four individual talents into a fresh amalgam, where the total is greater than the sum of its parts. Since I´m already familiar with Gropper, Lang and Steidle from other recordings, it is Wilk who is the nicest surprise of this album, playing some superbly imaginative lines and proving to be pianist definitely worth following in the future. Lang plays his usual wonderful bass staccatos and keeps the rhythm section as an integral part of the collective improvisation. Steidle, who is another veteran on the German scene and has a fine reputation as a highly imaginative and gifted drummer justifies his standing in full. Although most of the music is improvised, it has a strong melodic ingredient, sometimes clearly noticeable but most of the time only present subconsciously. This music has a clearly defined direction and a sense of purpose, which many Free Jazz / Improvised Music recordings simply lack completely. To be completely free and unrestrained within specified harmonic and melodic boundaries is a much more sophisticated form of expression than complete tonal anarchy, something free improvisers tend to forget. Overall this is an excellent debut group effort and I´m looking forward to hearing more from where this music came from, hopefully soon!

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PHILIPP GROPPER / PHILM ~ SUN SHIP WHYPLAYJAZZ 038 (Barcode: 4250459991381) ~ GERMANY ~ Avant-Garde Jazz Recorded: 2016 Released: 2017 This is the third album by German saxophonist / composer Philipp GropperFind albums by this artist and his quartet PhilmFind albums by this artist, which also includes Austrian keyboardists Elias StemesederFind albums by this artist, Danish bassist Andreas LangFind albums by this artist and German drummer Oliver SteidleFind albums by this artist. The album presents three original compositions, the first comprising of two parts and the second and third comprising of three parts each. This time, in contrasts to the quartet´s previous album, the music, although obviously still very much Avant Garde and Free Jazz oriented, manages to present a coherent approach and less self-indulgence, which result in a more communicative whole. Of course this is still highly specialized music, which a priori is intended for a very narrow audience, but the correct balance of Freedom and Discipline makes it all happen this time. All four members of the quartet are obviously highly talented musicians, which is apparent outright. The individual statements as well as the collective interplays are all outstanding, with each musician being allowed enough space to show his chops. The synthesizer is a nice innovation to the quartet´s overall sound and expands the scope of possibilities and adds a fresh sound layer to the overall sound, all for the best. Personally I enjoy the ragged, odd and unexpected rhythmic aspect of the music on this album, which is truly fascinating and quite innovative. The ability of the musicians to keep the time together is obviously remarkable and the hats off goes to the superb rhythm section of Land and Steidle, which is simply brilliant. But of course Gropper and Stemeseder create many wonderful statements all along, which are true delight to an attentive listener. Overall this is a beautiful example of European Free Jazz at its best, with shows the renewed German Jazz scene, especially in Berlin but also in other parts of the country, revitalized by the tremendous young generation of players and open to international cooperation, like it once was in the golden 1960s and 1970s. What a joy!

Updated: 17/12/2018Posted: 08/07/2017

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PHILIPP GROPPER / PHILM ~ THE MADMAN OF NARANAM WHYPLAYJAZZ 018 (Barcode: 4050486927960) ~ GERMANY ~ Jazz Recorded: 2014 Released: 2015 This is the second album by German saxophonist / composer Philipp GropperFind albums by this artist and his quartet called PhilmFind albums by this artist, which also includes Austrian pianist Elias StemesederFind albums by this artist, Danish bassist Andreas LangFind albums by this artist and German drummer Oliver SteidleFind albums by this artist. The album presents nine original compositions, all by Gropper. The music on this album is much more Avant-Garde oriented than on its predecessor, and is much more intense, primarily due to the presence of Stemeseder, who is a completely different player from Havard WilkFind albums by this artist, who played on that album. The melodic element is almost completely gone and most of the album sounds somewhat like Musique Concrete mixed with Free Jazz. It takes a while to get used to the harsh tone and aggressiveness of this music, but eventually its intricate nature becomes more penetrable. Although all four members of this quartet are obviously highly skilled musicians, the overall effect of this music is probably way beyond the pain threshold of an average Jazz listener, even those open-minded enough to listen to Free Jazz. This music seems to mock everything there is in music as conceived by most listeners: melody, chord structure, rhythm, even the very sense of music. This is the risk Avant-Garde takes when it questions the very fabric of music, and sometimes such experiments simply take it outside the human perception. There is no doubt this album has its moments, especially when it becomes quieter and almost minimalistic. Lang´s bass lines are always a delight and they are the candle in the dark as far as this music is concerned. Steidle also does a great job keeping time when there is no time, like only the best drummers can. Gropper plays relatively sparingly, especially in view of the fact this is his music and his band, and his dark tone suits the overall scenario perfectly. Stemeseder is definitely too busy, and has a problem letting go, amassing unnecessary intensity in places where it is not appropriate, but he is a very interesting player, which I haven´t yet properly digested. Overall this is a challenging and difficult album, which requires a lot of patience to get into, but eventually can be a stimulating and interesting experience. It is definitely suitable for hard core Free Jazz / Avant-Garde connoisseurs only.

Updated: 12/04/2019Posted:

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