Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Gebhard Ullmann: New Basement Research

294

Gebhard Ullmann: New Basement Research

By

Sign in to view read count
Gebhard Ullmann: New Basement Research
A key presence on the European jazz scene with nearly forty albums to his credit, German multi-reedist Gebhard Ullman turns fifty this year. In celebration, Ullmann has reformed his critically acclaimed Basement Research ensemble with all new members. New Basement Research, their studio debut, is an effective summation of Ullmann's talents as an improviser and composer.

Initially formed in 1995, Basement Research featured the talents of tenor saxophonist Ellery Eskelin, bassist Drew Gress and drummer Phil Haynes. The quartet disbanded after recording a self-titled debut (Soul Note, 1995) and Kreuzberg Park East (Soul Note, 2000). Tony Malaby substituted for Eskelin during a European tour in 1999, documented on Basement Research Live in Muenster (Not Two, 2006), before the band went on a five-year hiatus.

An entirely new line-up is featured on New Basement Research. Trombonist Steve Swell, British saxophonist Julian Arguelles, bassist John Hebert and drummer Gerald Cleaver have been working with Ullmann since 2004. Featuring seven classic originals re-arranged for this group, the album provides a casual overview of Ullmann's two decades-plus discography.

Recorded numerous times over the years by a variety of line-ups ranging from clarinet trio to big band, these highly structured compositions are focused and intricate, yet malleable, with ample room for individual interpretation.

Dramatic and compelling, Ullmann's endlessly modulating compositions elevate his soloists' electrifying statements to exhilarating plateaus. Encompassing a variety of techniques, his writing employs tricky contrapuntal horn charts, sudden tempo shifts and unaccompanied cadenzas with masterful allocation.

Referencing tradition, "D. Nee No" uses a tango as the basis for a labyrinthine excursion, while "Dreierlei," "Seven 9-8" and "Almost Twenty-Eight" embrace a stridently modernist sensibility. Careening with roiling energy and insistent momentum, they incorporate abstracted rock and funk rhythms with furious communal expressionism.

For all their terse interweaving lines and collective caterwauling, the three horn front line generally orbits a common tonal center, rarely devolving into meandering chaos. On "Desert ... Bleue ... East," Arguelles sonorous glissandos dovetail seamlessly with Swell's soulful, unhurried slide work and the leader's tart elucidations. Full of soaring lines and lithe figures, they weave a polyphonic tapestry from the fragments of a deconstructed blues.

A stirring soloist with a dark, muscular tone and a virtuosic command of extended techniques, Ullmann alternates between multiphonic bursts, intervallic register leaps and blistering linear runs with surgical precision. He also reveals a lyrical side on "Gospel," unfurling bluesy lines rippling with unfettered emotion.

The dynamic rhythm section of Hebert and Cleaver demonstrate a symbiotic rapport, most notably on the conversational dialogue that opens "New No Ness." Often the eye of the storm, Hebert maintains a beacon of stability in an endlessly fluctuating tempest while Cleaver's scintillating cymbal crashes and pneumatic shuffles yield a jaw-dropping show of force.

A powerful and commanding demonstration of Ullmann's gifts, New Basement Research is one of the year's best albums.

Track Listing

Dreierlei; Gospel; Seven 9-8; New No Ness; D. Nee No; Desert ... Bleue ... East; Almost Twenty-Eight.

Personnel

Gebhard Ullmann
saxophone

Gebhard Ullmann: tenor saxophone and bass clarinet; Julian Arguelles: soprano and baritone saxophones; Steve Swell: trombone; John Hebert: double bass; Gerald Cleaver: drums.

Album information

Title: New Basement Research | Year Released: 2007 | Record Label: Soul Note

Comments

Tags

Concerts


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

Love Is Passing Thru
Roberto Magris
Sensual
Rachel Z
Over and Over
Tony Monaco Trio

Popular

Get more of a good thing!

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