Muriel Grossmann: MGQ Live Im King Georg, Köln

Muriel Grossmann has firmly established herself in the realm of spiritual groove jazz. With her 19th release as a leader, the Paris-born, Vienna-raised saxophonist—now based in Spain—presents her first live recording. Joined by her long-standing ensemble MGQ, which features Serbian-born guitarist Radomir Milojkovic and drummer Uros Stamenkovic, along with Spanish Hammond B3 organist Abel Boquera, the quartet delivers a fiery set: twelve extended tracks on the CD version and seven on the LP.

The music was captured on November 11, 2022, at Cologne's King Georg jazz club, coinciding with the kickoff of the city's carnival season —locally known as "the crazy days." Judging from the audience's exuberant response, the room was ready to celebrate, and Grossmann's quartet more than rose to the occasion.

All the selections come from the quartet's established repertoire, previously recorded in studio settings. Yet in this live context, the music gains new vitality—charged by the room's electricity and the musicians' unfiltered energy. The set opens with "Clarity," from their 2022 release Universal Code (Dreamlandrecords), where Grossmann's soprano saxophone threads intricate melodic lines through Barceló's soulful organ grooves and Milojkovic's taut guitar riffs. The groove remains omnipresent, especially on "Interconnection," which churns with a hypnotic intensity. Grossmann takes a step back as Milojkovic unleashes a fiery, Wes Montgomery-esque solo, followed by Boquera's playful manipulation of tempo and tone.

"African Call," another Grossmann original, channels the spirit of South African legend Louis Moholo-Moholo, while "Happiness" ventures into the deep American South with a bluesy dialogue between tenor saxophone rootsy guitar and gospel-tinged organ. The evening culminates in "Traneing In," which nods to John Coltrane's "India." Grossmann returns to soprano, and the quartet rides a slow-burning wave driven by Boquera's simmering organ and Stamenkovic's infectious shuffle rhythm.

Fueled by carnival fervor and spiritual fire, this live set captures a band not just in performance, but in full communion—with each other, the audience and the music itself.