Kiedaisch - Svoboda - Hahn: Water Mirror

Glenn Astarita

Senior Contributor since 1997

Longtime contributor to AAJ and Downbeat, Jazz Review, EjazzNews, Radio DirectX.

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Published: June 1, 2001

This Germany-based trio, delves into and ultimately stylizes a form of music that perhaps parallels the delicacies, and transmutations of water on Water Mirror. Here, the band melds lucid dreamscapes with a continuous underlying flow, thanks to vibraphonist Michael Kiedaisch’s softly stated melodies and oscillating rhythms, while saxophonist Eberhard Hahn and trombonist Mike Svoboda render soothing lyricism amid complex propositions and cunning modern jazz style dialogue. However, the musicians do utilize various ethnocentric percussion instruments to augment many of these opaque themes, sweet-tempered choruses and intricate developments, witnessed on pieces such as “Morning Mist (Wassermusik)” and “Echoes”. With “7 Goblins”, Kiedasich articulates a relatively simple motif on marimba, whereas Hahn’s bluesy bass clarinet work is counterbalanced by Svoboda’s rock solid tuba lines and bonding rhythmic structures. Otherwise, the band incorporates various world beat accents and grooves into their jazzy repertoire. Therefore, Water Mirror is a classy production, augmented by the pristine sonic characteristics and the band’s effervescent harmonic developments. Recommended!

November Music

Track Listing: Morning Mist (Wassermusik), Cascade, Echoes, 7 Goblins, Blues Glissade, Undercurrent, Sealion

Personnel: Michael Kiedaisch; marimba, vibraphone, steeldrum, waterdrums, percussion: Mike Svoboda; trombone, tuba, didjeridoo, alphorn, conchshell: Eberhard Hahn; saxophones, flutes, bass clarinet, percussion

Record Label: November Music
Style: Modern Jazz