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Robert Morgenthaler
Fridolin Blumer: Beyond Scope
by Mark Corroto
Are there norms in free improvisation? A better question might be: are there rules? Free improvisation has been called many things--instant composing, non-idiomatic improvisation, spontaneous composition, intuitive music--but no matter the name, the question of structure remains. To explore this, let's look beyond music to another art form: film. Specifically, the 1998 cult classic The Big Lebowski, written and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen. The film follows Jeffrey “The Dude" Lebowski, played by Jeff Bridges, who is ...
Continue ReadingEnsemble 5: The Human Factor
by Alberto Bazzurro
Un camerismo increspato che non di rado si fa decisamente nervoso è ciò che troviamo in questo nuovo album--l'ottavo, con i precedenti sette usciti su Leo fra il 2012 e il 2020--del quintetto svizzero (ma Dell è tedesco, di Darmstadt), inciso a Zurigo nell'ottobre 2022. Il lavoro svolto dai cinque procede generalmente facendo prevalere l'aspetto corale, per irregolare e alterno nelle temperature e nelle dinamiche che si sdipani, perché quello è l'equilibrio che la musica cerca e ...
Continue ReadingEnsemble 5: The Human Factor
by Glenn Astarita
Ensemble 5, a forward-thinking jazz quintet hailing from Switzerland, has been making waves in the avant-garde jazz scene since its inception. The group, consisting of percussionist Heinz Geisser, bassist Fridolin Blumer, pianist Reto Staub, trombonist Robert Morgenthaler, and guest vibraphonist Christopher Dell, brings a fresh perspective to improvised music with their latest release, The Human Factor. The album opens with “Prelude," setting the tone with an ethereal blend of Dell's vibraphone, Staub's piano, and Morgenthaler's probing lines creating ...
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