Clemens Kuratle Murmullo: Lies

Clemens Kuratle is a young Swiss drummer whose group, Murmullo, puts out an interesting mixture of prog rock, folk music and jazz.

The front line combination of saxophone, trombone and guitar gives the band a dense sound where guitarist Franz Hellmuller often sets the tone. He plays long dreamy lines on the brief "Prelude" and strikes up a chattering murmur on "Aunt Rose" which Kuratle and bassist Rafael Jerjen turn into a dub-influenced trio conversation. Then trombonist Florian Weiss starts pumping over the trio's tricky rhythms, joined eventually by saxophonist Jonathan Maag. The saxophonist spirals up interacting with Hellmueller in a tense dialogue that ends with honking tenor blasts and crunchy rock guitar. "Lies" starts with a drone encompassing drum beats, guitar, and the voices of various politicians. Then the horns seep in, tumbling and hammering, while Hellmueller whines loudly, with a sustained tone like Terje Rypdal, over Kuratle's irregular beats.

"Contemplation" lives up to its title. It maintains a slow measured pace with quiet guitar chiming and a rumbling rhythmic undercurrent that gives the music a tropical feel. The two horns play a plush unison line throughout the melody section before stepping out into slow, graceful arabesques accompanied by gleaming guitar notes. On "Deconstruct" the sax and trombone begin things, forcefully battering, until Weiss takes the lead, singing over Jerjen's stuttering bass. Hellmueller joins in subdued sympathy to Weiss, his guitar double-tracked over a lopsided but effective bass and drum progression. Eventually all three lead instruments intertwine in a formal dance featuring Weiss broadly moaning over Hellmueller's chords. There are a lot of pieces to "Lull-a-bye." It has a chugging locomotive beat, funky bowed bass, and Maag and Weiss blowing joyful lines with an American folk lilt that could come from one of Brian Blade's or Bill Frisell's groups. At the end an unidentified member of the group sings about life and friendship in a young, hopeful voice with an endearing earnestness.

Clemens Kuratle builds his group's music on irregular but catchy rhythms that gives it a peculiar originality. He blends together folk, jazz, and rock elements into a sound that is deep, fun and unique.