Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Die Mikronesische Mafia: Die Mikronesische Mafia

2

Die Mikronesische Mafia: Die Mikronesische Mafia

By

Sign in to view read count
Die Mikronesische Mafia: Die Mikronesische Mafia
Berlin-based Die Mikronesische Mafia, an event-driven nonet, makes a brand of music that is as backward-looking as it is forward-forging. Cinematic and comprehensive, the five fairly brief parts that make up the group's eponymous release conjure visions of classic movies remade in modern parlance (with thoroughly updated soundtracks) or, even better, Weimar-period cabaret evolved into its futuristic counterpart in the 1982 film Blade Runner, were it set in 2050 Berlin. This odd and oddly affecting music is reminiscent, but of what?

"Part 1" with Moritz Ecker's piquant, framing guitar and Lars Kuklinski's forceful trumpet, are what might wished to be heard in a 22nd Century remake of Sergio Leone's Western film corpus. This is not Hang 'Em High (1968) as musically imagined Dominic Frontiere; this is 1964's A Fist Full of Dollars, featuring some star not yet born and scored by some tunesmith not yet imagined. "Part 2" updates the slow marches of Carl Maria von Weber and, later, Gustav Mahler. Ecker's strummed open chords and mercury-thin single-note playing, backed by a cabaret oompah band, might make the listener understand German white wine and absinthe. The harmonic theme is broad and stately, perhaps framing some post-modern scene of Liebestod, giving tenor saxophonist Axel Knappmeyer his greatest solo space.

"Part 3" is moody and ethereal. A two-chord harmonic path, over which Knappmeyer's flute establishes a bit of peace before Ecker's slide guitar enters and carefully defines the melody, takes it through a cosmic weave of tenor and alto reeds, improvising aggressively. Ecker summons the whole history of the slide guitar, presenting it from start to finish in an explosive coda that is symphonic in scope, slowing to the end. "Part 4" and "Part 5" reincarnates Booker T. and the M.G.s as the house band for the neue Kabarett.

This strange and delightful music is both inventive and accessible and easily one of the finest recordings of the year. It pays to take chances.

Track Listing

Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5.

Personnel

Axel Knappmeyer: tenor saxophone, flute; Gerd Jentzsch: trombone; Florian Walther: alto saxophone; Roman Siewecke: alto saxophone; Lars Kuklinski: trumpet; Oliver Siegel: keyboards; Moritz Ecker: guitars; Benjamin Garcia: bass; Martin Thissen: drums.

Album information

Title: Die Mikronesische Mafia | Year Released: 2012 | Record Label: Self Produced

Comments

Tags


For the Love of Jazz
Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

You Can Help
To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.

More

Wonderful!
Mike LeDonne
Embracing the Unknown
Ivo Perelman, Chad Fowler, Reggie Workman and...

Popular

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.