Record Reviews

MAZUR NEURINGER DUO ~ DIACHRONIC PATHS RELATIVE PITCH 1046 (Barcode: 616892379843) ~ POLAND ~ Free Jazz / Improvised Music Recorded: 2013 Released: 2015 This is the fifth album by the Avant-Garde / Improvising Music duo comprising of Polish acoustic bass guitarist Rafal MazurFind albums by this artist and American saxophonist Keir NeuringerFind albums by this artist. Together they perform six spontaneously improvised pieces, co-composed by the duo members. As usual with Improvised Music it is not about the virtuosic abilities of the players, which of course are also present herein, but about the ability to communicate, cooperate and create together something that is more than the simple sum of the components. Mazur and Neuringer have already successfully proved that they are among the best of the kind and this album firmly verifies again, that this is the case. The six lengthy pieces present a plethora of moods and emotional states, beautifully illustrated by the music, which often sounds strangely melodic and coherent in spite of its improvised nature. An attentive listener simply gets completely lost within the music, engulfed within the emotional fabric of the sounds. This album is a wonderful example of truly creative Improvised Music that stays relevant beyond the actual moment of creation and is able to reproduce the magic also in recorded form. Sadly such music constitutes a minority within the genre, which many artists involved in it have serious problems understanding. Of course the individual performances by those two brilliant musicians also deserve a high praise. Mazur managed to create a completely individual bass sound and his incredible technique is also completely unique. Neuringer displays unlimited fluency and improvisational depth, which are both unprecedented. As usual, a great piece of intriguing, wonderfully performed music, which sets the path (pun intended) for others to follow, both as listeners and musicians. Thanks for sharing!

Updated: 12/04/2019Posted: 08/10/2016

CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend

MAZUR NEURINGER DUO ~ THE KRAKOW LETTERS FOR TUNE 0032 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2012 Released: 2014 This is the fourth release that documents the music of the duo comprising of Polish Avant-Garde / Jazz acoustic bass guitarist Rafal MazurFind albums by this artist and American saxophonist and interdisciplinary Artist Keir NeuringerFind albums by this artist. The duo has been active since 1999 after meeting in Krakow. The album presents four lengthy improvised pieces, recorded live, all credited to both partners. There is no doubt that these two musicians communicate on a telepathic level and their virtuosity is simply stunning. However, listening to this music might prove to be way beyond even most adventurous listener because of its incredible intensity and total dedication. The music is completely devoid of melodic element and the staccato lines lasting for quarter of an hour are a challenge. But on purely artistic level and for diehard Free / Improvised fans this music is simply phenomenal. The sheer "impossibility" to actually play it already makes it fascinating and considering the rapport and dialogue present herein at every moment simply nail it completely. There is an intrinsic intellectual beauty to this music, even if the totally emotional form might exclude intellectualism by definition. Nevertheless this fascinating contrast keeps the listener on his toes for the entire duration of the album. Since I´m not familiar with their previous adventures, I´ll definitely have to investigate those now, after listening to this album. The other enigma is of course the ability of Neuringer to play in an uninterruptable stream lasting for many minutes. Is he using circular breathing? Perhaps this music is primarily meant to be heard live, and a recording transfers the listening experience with some, if not a significant loss of the overall effect. If this album is a "muffled" experience, the real deal must have been totally scary. Ye brave hearted free spirits unite!

Updated: 12/04/2019Posted:

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