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Luzia von Wyl Ensemble: Frost
ByVon Wyl, whether intentional or not, even fuses some tricky Frank Zappa-type blitzes into the production via marimba performer Raphael Christen's fluently exercised unison jaunts with the ensemble. Yet all of these pieces contain memorable hooks and plots. Engineered on swirling cadenzas, jazzy horns, budding buildups and soaring solo spots, the leader seamlessly bridges a crossover gala with concisely integrated symphonic overtures. The pianist's vivid imagination shines throughout an amalgamation of sparkling choruses and intermittent breakouts, executed within sub-groups and often spawning great depth amid layered backdrops.
Works such as "Spark" and "Rush" are sculpted with von Wyl's spiraling single note leads, bluesy jazz phrasings, ringing harmonics, firm rock beats, melodic ostinato vamps and the hornists' bristling staccato lines. Even during the mellower moments shaded with melodic overtones, the ensemble abides by a deterministic forward-looking disposition. And the final track "Quints," is kicked off with the pianist's melancholic motif, leading to a gorgeous and hummable strings-based theme, counterbalanced with dips and spikes and a few creaky off-kilter injections. But they methodically raise the pitch and rebuild the principle storyline, culminating in a very special program, boasting a surfeit of distinguishing factors, embedded within Wyl's fascinating compositions and alluring cross-genre arrangements.
Track Listing
Tick-Tock; Frost; Joke; Wind; Jingle; Spark; Rush; Overlap; Kalimba; Quints.
Personnel
Luzia von Wyl
pianoLuzia von Wyl: piano; Amin Mokdad: flute; Nicola Katz: clarinet; Lukas Roos: bass clarinet; Maurus Conte: bassoon; Simon Heggendorn: violin; Jonas Iten: violincello; Andre Pousaz: bass; Raphael Christen: marimba; Rico Baumann: drums.
Album information
Title: Frost | Year Released: 2015 | Record Label: Hat Hut Records
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