Pavel Hrubý, Klaus Kugel: Going Where The Wind Takes It

The Czech German duo of soprano saxophonist and bass clarinetist Pavel Hrubý and drummer and percussionist Klaus Kugel present a potent example of improvised dialogue on their live album Going Where the Wind Takes It. Recorded at the 'Jazz Goes to Town festival' in Hradec Králové, Czech Republic in October 2019, the session finds two masterful improvisers at the height of their collaborative powers.

The average track length is 3:31, which keeps the energy taut and the improvisational flow brisk. The duo is fearless in its use of both silence and sonic density. The opener, "Part 01," begins with subtle cymbal hits and delicate percussion implements while Hrubý spins extended notes on bass clarinet. The piece establishes a monastic framework with space in between, which becomes part of the argument, and the duo gradually raises the volume toward a potent close.

"Part 05" is layered with Kugel's soft execution of one or more China cymbals and rolling tom patterns beneath Hrubý's hymnal-like sax lines. Those phrasings transform naturally into fiery improv statements as dynamics and intensity build. "Part 09" aligns calmness with turmoil, balancing placid stretches with sudden eruptions of activity that keep the listener on alert. "Part 11" opens with Hrubý's plaintive soprano cries that yield to concise single-note lines, a delicate dance answered by Kugel's adroit and impactful percussive responses.

Hrubý's command of his instruments allows him to traverse vast tonal territories from the bass clarinet's deep rumbles to the soprano saxophone's piercing heights. His phrasing suggests a player at home in Eastern European folk tradition and the most adventurous reaches of contemporary jazz. The textural variety he draws—breathy subtones and crystalline melodic fragments—remains endlessly fascinating.

Kugel, recognized as a leading drummer on the European jazz and experimental scene, integrates unconventional objects and auxiliary percussion into his kit. He does not merely mark time; he constructs intricate rhythmic architectures that shift from whisper-quiet textures to thunderous peaks. His approach feels painterly, each cymbal stroke and percussive scrape adding to a continuously evolving sonic canvas that both challenges and supports his partner.

The album title is apt. Performances possess an organic, wind-like quality that flows naturally from one moment to the next without ever feeling aimless. Emotional range elevates the recording beyond mere technique: haunting beauty appears unexpectedly while controlled chaos conveys genuine urgency. This is improvised music that speaks to intellect and heart and confirms that these two musicians have created something truly special together.

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