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Live From Berlin: Alexander Von Schlippenbach, Henrik Walsdorff & Ida Nielsen

Live From Berlin: Alexander Von Schlippenbach, Henrik Walsdorff & Ida Nielsen
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The Schlippenbach-Walsdorff Quartet
A-Trane
October 31, 2018

The A-Trane is one of Berlin's best-known jazz clubs, but is surprisingly small, once discovered on its quiet street-corner. This might be a disadvantage when they're booking some of the big-name acts that appear there, resulting in lost sales from potential bookings, but once the customer has successfully gained entrance, this club provides a wonderfully intimate setting to catch a combo.

Fire regulations probably forbid more than 100 folks being in the room. There are effectively two sides to the interior space: the right hand side avenue in front of the bar, and another seating area just around the left corner. Sightlines are fine from both sides, with the stage being relatively low, drapes hanging across the rear wall. It looks like the club windows are heavily sound-proofed, as this seems like a residential zone. If you can't grab a ticket, you could stand outside and peer at your forbidden act, as this is no windowless basement jazz den..!

The night before Jazzfest Berlin, there was a particularly exciting gig involving this vari-aged foursome, co-led by grand maestro pianist Alexander von Schlippenbach (sprightly 80) and younger saxophonist Henrik Walsdorff (mere 53). They were partnered by Antonio Borghini (bass) and Heinrich Köbberling (drums). The A-Trane handily had the nite's line-up chalked on a small blackboard, stage left. This appears to be a regular policy.

Walsdorff sported shades and a woolly hat, along with his expected alto saxophone, leading an exploratory, abstract introduction, which led surprisingly into a bout of cool, swingin' old skool striding, his bittersweet horn weaving with agile lightness of touch and tone. Indeed, the governing thrust of this quartet is to rear up out of bop, even if in a modernised mode. This is a platform for Schippenbach's fascination (and obsession) with Thelonious Monk's compositions, as well as side dish of Herbie Nichols pieces, "House Party Starting" standing out strongly. Schippenbach's soloing (and indeed 'comping') revealed a stream of invention, winkling fresh accents and routes from such substantial Monkian material.

A bowed bass solo led into a chiming processional, with Schlippenbach giving a solo of dappled introspection. At strategic points, each member took a completely solo showcase, each alone under his personal spotlight. The quartet teetered on the point between party propulsion and a constrained hint of free jazz, constantly biding its time at the groove's perimeter. The gig had the advantage of retro head-nodding and interior tension questioning, with the latter taking over towards this fine gig's conclusion. It was wonderful to catch Schlippenbach in one of his natural habitats, the evening before Jazzfest Berlin's storm hit the city.

Ida Nielsen & Band
Quasimodo
October 31, 2018

This wasn't yet the end of the night. Just five or ten minute's walk away from A-Trane lies Quasimodo, which has recently returned to the active live music scene. This joint is actually down stone stairs in a subterranean setting, and has more of a rock bar vibe than a club aura. The Danish bassist Ida Nielsen was one of Prince's regular players in his New Power Generation, and subsequently 3rdeyegirl, from 2010 until his purple passing. For this late show, Nielsen was slick, slapping and soulful, but her songs were almost brutally angled towards audience submission, her (drums, guitar and rapper) band's tactics more suited to an outdoor festival, projecting to thousands of bodies. It seemed a touch overdone down in Quasimodo, but this was probably also a result of hitting the spot straight after A-Trane's free-bop session, which was terminally introverted by comparison..!

Photograph: Patrik Landolt

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