UK-based Leo Records states that it is committed to deliver “music for the inquiring mind and the passionate heart.” Here are five new releases that stick with the Statement of Purpose
The quartet of John Butcher/ts-ss, Harald Kimmig/v, Daniel Studer/b and Alfred Zimmerlin/cel deliver a handful of free form improves, with two around 6 minutes and the other two around a quarter of an hour. Butcher huffs, puffs and squawks to scratchy bows on “A Short Night…” and the reeds are honking on “Morning Star Shining on Hydrangea” with a three way traffic of rumbling strings. The eerie strings hover like a haze on the eerie “Croaks of Frogs” and the rhythm scurries on ”Cloudless Sky and the Sun.” Sounds akin to Neopolitan traffic on Via Nazionale.
Four cellos played by Nathan Bontrager, Elisabeth Coudoux, Nora Krahl and Hugues Vincent make up The Octopus, who create fourteen improvised pieces ranging from 29 seconds to 6 minutes. Tones akin to an angry Bartok on “Keinen Kopf” and “Verhaltensphilosophie” while sighing bows that jab like a middle weight punch hard on ”Wer Hat Fube” and Nuit Tendue.” Dark shadows squeal on “Marais” and “Lost Spiders” and rhythmic burst jolt out on “Recherche Sterile” and “Federschwarm.” Sepia colors and webs.
Elisabeth Coudoux drops her three playmates and goes it alone for ten musical poems. She is deep and sonorous on “Within the Sounding Body” and reflective with strong bowing on “In Sounding Bodies.” She ranges between high pitched tension and low broods on “Shaken Boundary Conditions” while showing her pluck on “Found Not.” She is able to mix space, long tones and moments of agitation to successful sounds.
The duo of trombonist Sebi Tramontana and clarinet-alto saxist Frank Gratkowski create fifteen “instant songs” that combine interaction and spontaneity. Long reed tones and plunger effects veer and crash on “”Time and Space” and “Singer” and even the sax pads join into the rhythm team along with some hard core tonguing on “Dancer” and it sounds like Tramontana sounds like he’s got a leaky valve as he gasps during a spicy “Series of Dramatic Events.” A musical ping pong match with various things used for paddles to knock the ball across.
Simon Nabatov produces 21st Century versions of Thelonious Monk and beyond with his piano and use of electronic devices. He’s got a rich touch on the ivories and is both respectful and inquisitive on his versions of “Epistrophy” and mixes classical with quirkiness on ”Skippy” and “Oska T.” The fingers are warm on “Light Blue” and playful on “Pannonica” yet on the handful of “Electroacoustic Extensions” he mixes moody shadows, tensile moorings and as many noodles as a Japanese soup kitchen. The Spherical One would love this!