Record Reviews

MANFRED PAUL WEINBERGER / RAPHAEL PAUL MEINHART ~ COMING FROM WITTINGHOF ATS 1010 (Barcode: 9005216010103) ~ AUSTRIA ~ Jazz Recorded: 2023 Released: 2024 This is a duo album by two Austrian Jazz musicians: trumpeter / composer Manfred Paul WeinbergerFind albums by this artist and vibraphonist / composer Raphael Paul MeinhartFind albums by this artist. The album presents ten tracks, eight of which were composed by Weinberger and two by Meinhart. The sound of the duo is quite unusual, as expected, and gets a while to get used to, but the interplay and communication between these two musicians is immediately apparent. The music is all well organized, with coherent melodic / harmonic structures, which serve as a vehicle to allow the two musicians to exchange licks, communicate, improvise in turn and in tandem, in short create a dialog in the “Art of the Duo” tradition. Despite the age difference between the two musicians, there is certainly no generation gap between them, and the mutual respect and understanding seem to be working perfectly. A few minutes into the music the listener’s ears get used to the somewhat unfamiliar sound and everything falls into place. The minimalism of this music is a virtue and allows the listener to concentrate on what is played and perhaps even fill the blanks, since silence is an integral part of this music. It seems that Weinberger is an enthusiast of the Jazz duo format, since I have already reviewed two other albums with him in that format, all equally fascinating and rewarding. But of course he also plays with bigger ensembles and even the great Upper Austrian Jazz OrchestraFind albums by this artist, which I absolutely love. Overall, this is somewhat atypical “Art of the Duo” album, with an uncommon meeting of two instruments rarely heard together, but which manages to bridge the sound differences and create fascinating music, which is original and ear-opening. Wholeheartedly recommended!

Updated: 24/02/2024Posted: 24/02/2024

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