Record Reviews

THEMROC 3 ~ ROCTHEM! WHYPLAYJAZZ 029 (Barcode: 4250459990391) ~ GERMANY ~ Jazz Recorded: 2015 Released: 2016 This is the debut album by the Berlin based trio Themroc 3Find albums by this artist, which consists of German clarinetist Benjamin WeidekampFind albums by this artist, Austrian trumpeter Richard KochFind albums by this artist and German drummer Michael GrienerFind albums by this artist. Although existing since 2002 the trio apparently did not make an album earlier. The album presents eight original compositions, four each by Weidekamp and Griener. The music of the trio is a refreshing mixture of Circus, Cabaret, and German brass music and of course Jazz elements, which is a pure delight from start to finish. The humorous and often arrogant / punkish attitude is all in good taste and makes the listeners simply to put a huge smile on their faces. But beneath the imaginary simplicity there is a deep layer of sophistication and clever inventiveness, which turns the seemingly simple elements into a fascinating puzzle. This is of course typically European music, which could not have been created anywhere but in Europe and Berlin in particular. Echoes of the 1920s Berlin nonchalance and intellectual mayhem are plainly audible in this music, and if Kurt WeillFind albums by this artist was alive today it is highly possible he would have loved to join the trio on stage. There is something liberating and mind-blowing about this music, which puts things in their right perspective. Fun is fun, humor is humor and life is life… I had to listen several times to this album before I was ready to make up my mind what to write. Its impact is so "right in your face" that only very few albums a year come even close to this effect. Therefore don´t judge this album after just one listening session; let it sink and simmer down before it hits you again, like an old wine getting better with every sip. Truly amazing stuff! Congrats to Roland SchulzFind albums by this artist for releasing this gem and his WhyPlayJazzFind albums on this label label for being a home to so many great recordings!

Updated: 20/09/2016Posted: 20/09/2016

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BENJAMIN WEIDEKAMP ~ SERIELL, NICHT SERIOS WHYPLAYJAZZ 011 (Barcode: 4050486096789) ~ GERMANY ~ Jazz Recorded: 2013 Released: 2014 This is the debut album by the German clarinetists / saxophonist / composer Benjamin WeidekampFind albums by this artist and his quartet, which also includes clarinetists / saxophonist Uli KempendorffFind albums by this artist, guitarist Ronny GraupeFind albums by this artist and drummer Christian MarienFind albums by this artist. The album presents six original compositions, all by Weidekamp and was recorded by the legendary Walter QuintusFind albums by this artist, with the sound quality of this recording being excellent, as expected. Active on the Berlin Jazz scene since the turn of the Millennium, Weidekamp was as the leader of several different ensembles (Odd ShotFind albums by this artist, Olaf TonFind albums by this artist, Stereo LisaFind albums by this artist) and participated in other Improvised Music ventures. He founded this quartet in 2010 but the debut recording followed only a few years later. The music presented on this album is very Avant-Garde, near the extreme edge of Improvised Music, which of course means that it is completely uncommunicative to the vast majority of the people, who listen to music, even the most open-minded among them. It is constructed of shredded melody pieces, often repeated continuously in a manner similar to minimalist / serial music, which seemingly have no beginning or end and stay on the same emotional level for extensive periods of time. Balinese and other Far East folkloristic motifs also come to mind as do many other Avant-Garde explorations, many of which were tried out already decades ago. As much as I support individuality and originality, this kind of extremism serves in my view only the musicians, who play this music, contributing very little to the actual aesthetics of music as such. Although some listeners might find this music interesting or even fascinating, it rests largely within the artistic self-indulgence zone. Of course it is also possible that I have no idea what I am talking about and this music simply is beyond my limited comprehension. Whichever way, I´ll probably not return to this album in the foreseeable future.

Updated: 12/04/2019Posted:

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Z3 ~ PALE FIRE WHYPLAYJAZZ 014 (Barcode: 4050486906163) ~ AUSTRIA ~ Jazz Recorded: 2013 Released: 2014 This is the debut album by the trio called Z3Find albums by this artist, led by Austrian pianist / composer Philip ZoubekFind albums by this artist and including German clarinetist Benjamin WeidekampFind albums by this artist and Swiss bassist Christian WeberFind albums by this artist. The album presents seven original compositions, all by Zoubek. Zoubek points to the legendary Jimmy GiuffreFind albums by this artist trio with pianist Paul BleyFind albums by this artist and bassists Steve SwallowFind albums by this artist as the source of inspiration to create this trio, and many points of reference are indeed present, although there is no attempt to directly follow or copy the work of Giuffre and his cohorts. The piano "plays the first fiddle" on this album, clearly navigating the music towards a melodic progression, which is followed by the clarinet and bass in a series of tête-à-tête and ménage a trios encounters. The overall atmosphere is completely relaxed and non-aggressive, which always helps in an Improvised Music environment, creating a true close encounter between the trio members. Weidekamp plays magnificently here and his beautiful tone reminds me of the performances by my beloved Harold RubinFind albums by this artist. Short phrases and delicate breathing-like uttering, little melodic statements and fragile triplets create an ornate aura around the piano stating the melody and the overall result is simply magical. Weber, who is one of the busiest and most prolific bassists on the European Improvised Music scene, with three solo albums and dozens of recordings to his credit, displays a certain measure of respect and distance, playing sparingly but superbly on time and exactly where his contribution is needed. This kind of subtle support is amongst the most difficult contributions a musician can offer to his partners. Together the trio creates a continuous flow of excellent and fascinating music, which keeps the listener on his toes from start to finish. In fact this is definitely one of the best releases on the first-rate WhyPlayJazzFind albums on this label label to date. There is definitely nothing pale about the fire found on this album, I assure you!

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