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Angelika Niescier - Christopher Tordini - Tyshawn Sorey: The Berlin Concert
ByNiescier's ambitious compositional choices are illustrated by the album's opener, "Kundry," which is taken from her jazz-inspired re-envisioning of Richard Wagner's Parsifal, a project she first rolled out in 2013, when she performed a version of it with a big band and mezzo-soprano vocalist in Washington, D.C. The quicksilver intensity of the piece is evident from the outset, as the trio roars from the opening bars, Niescier playing as though she still has something to prove. Her endlessly inventive lines charge almost recklessly over the incessant pulse provided by Tordini and Sorey, who are totally locked into Niescier's concept, thriving on the tensions built into the piece, with precision and liberating abandon present in equal amounts. At twelve-plus minutes of riveting music, it's a thrilling start to the album.
The second track, "Like Sheep, Looking Up," was inspired by concerns surrounding environmental degradation, and it gives a glimpse of Niescier's long-standing desire to use her music to address pressing political and social questions. It is also the most abstract and mysterious track on the record, with Tordini's arco bass creating a moody ambience that Niescier builds upon, and Sorey limiting himself (uncharacteristically, on this record) to reserved support. There's also a subtle beauty at work here, with a motif strikingly similar to John Coltrane's "Alabama" giving the piece an almost mournful aspect.
After that brief reprieve, the last two tracks provide more of the trio's sheer power. Tethered to the 5/8-time signature implied by its title, "5.8" possesses an almost danceable catchiness that still manages to unleash some ferocious playing from Niescier. And the aptly-titled closer, "The Surge," is astonishing in its relentless motion. Niescier rides the wave of rhythmic density generated by Sorey and Tordini until it finally ends, not so much receding as simply stopping, but not before a dynamic burst of rapid-fire staccato phrases. Finally, the overjoyed (and overwhelmed) Berlin Jazzfest crowd erupts in sustained gratitude for experiencing forty minutes of exceptionally-played, uncompromising music, a fitting tribute to an artist reaching the peak of her craft.
Track Listing
Kundry; Like Sheep, Looking Up; 5.8; The Surge.
Personnel
Angelika Niescier
saxophoneAngelika Niescier: alto saxophone; Christopher Tordini: bass; Tyshawn Sorey: drums.
Album information
Title: The Berlin Concert | Year Released: 2018 | Record Label: Intakt Records
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About Angelika Niescier
Instrument: Saxophone
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