Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Gebhard Ullmann: Kreuzberg Park East

189

Gebhard Ullmann: Kreuzberg Park East

By

View read count
Gebhard Ullmann: Kreuzberg Park East
Kreuzberg Park East represents German-based saxophonist/composer Gebhard Ullmann’s second collaboration with American jazz notables – saxophonist Ellery Eskelin, drummer Phil Haynes and bassist Drew Gress.

Following up his fine outing with “The Clarinet Trio” on the “Leo Lab” release titled, Oct.1’98 Ullman extends his alliance and dual saxophone attack with Ellery Eskelin on this engaging exhibition featuring Ullmann’s fertile if not wily compositional skills and laudable technical proficiencies. The opener, “Blaues Lied” boasts a moderate swing motif atop Gress’ prominent walking bass lines as the twin saxophonists pursue somewhat of a relaxed or carefree dialogue, while incorporating an unencumbered vibe. Just when the listener may seem lulled by the invariable proceedings, the band willfully deconstruct the - swing element – during the midsection as each musician represents a vital link in the virtual chain. The composition titled, “Meltema” features wistful passages augmented by Gress’ angular yet somewhat rustic or earthy arco-bass articulations. Here, the music seems haunting or dirge-like as drummer Phil Haynes skittishly disrupts the staid momentum with spurts of good-natured yet mischievous activity behind the kit while becoming the lead voice towards the finale. Throughout, Ullmann shines as an intelligent or cerebral composer yet some of these pieces offer contrasting glimpses of his musical mind, which for example is evident on “Flutist with Hat and Shoe”. On this piece Ullmann picks up the clarinet as the ensemble expound upon some hard-edged funk riffs coupled with off-center New Orleans 2nd line banter. “Those 4 R”, finds the band stretching out through a series of complex free-bop and full steam ahead swing grooves as Ullmann leads the charge performing on soprano sax.

Gebhard Ullmann and Ellery Eskelin are a potent twosome who deserve kudos for their synergistic teamwork and visceral approach as they often work from within the themes and melodies while displaying all the savvy and enthusiasm one would expect.... Along with the sterling effort turned in by Haynes and Gress who appear extremely cognizant and thoroughly in tune with Ullmann’s authentic approach, Kreuzberg Park East is a glowing, eclectic and altogether ambitious effort. Heartily recommended.......... * * * *

Personnel

Gebhard Ullmann
saxophone

Album information

Title: Kreuzberg Park East | Year Released: 2000 | Record Label: Soul Note

Tags

Comments


PREVIOUS / NEXT



Gebhard Ullmann Concerts

Sep 24 Wed

Support All About 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 make 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.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves 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

Eternal Moments
Yoko Yates
From "The Hellhole"
Marshall Crenshaw
Tramonto
John Taylor

Popular

Old Home/New Home
The Brian Martin Big Band
My Ideal
Sam Dillon
Ecliptic
Shifa شفاء - Rachel Musson, Pat Thomas, Mark Sanders
Lado B Brazilian Project 2
Catina DeLuna & Otmaro Ruíz

Get more of a good thing!

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

Install All About Jazz

iOS Instructions:

To install this app, follow these steps:

All About Jazz would like to send you notifications

Notifications include timely alerts to content of interest, such as articles, reviews, new features, and more. These can be configured in Settings.