Although it was recorded in 2015, at Studioboerne45 Berlin, it took several years for Strange Songs to see the light of day. The album sleeve dates its release as 2022, but its arrival on vinyl and its launch event did not happen until July 2023, marked by two well-attended Ute Wassermann performances at Café Oto in London. Across the two days, in addition to two solo sets, Wassermann performed in a quintet with Spring Heel Jack (John Coxon and Ashley Wales), saxophonist Evan Parker and drummer Mark Sanders, and a quartet with vocalist Phil Minton, pianist Pat Thomas and drummer Roger Turner. Those line-ups were fitting as Strange Songs was released on Spring Heel Jack's Treader label as an LP, Treader having long ago ceased releasing CDs. In keeping with the label's renowned artwork on its CD covers, the LP sleeve of Strange Songs features an embossed gold picture of a bird—a Ring Ousel, actually. Wassermann's previous release on Treader was Spukhafte Fernwirkung in 2014 by fORCH/Furt and featured the combined voices of Wassermann and Minton; another fORCH album, Spin Networks, also with Wassermann and Minton, had been released on Parker's Psi label in 2007. Remarkably, for the album's ten tracks, which play for forty-three-and-a-half minutes, Wassermann performs alone, credited with voice plus ten instruments, most of the latter being bird whistles. She says she has a large collection of bird whistles, with some dating back decades and others imitating species which are long since extinct. Such variety ensures that the tracks sound very different, despite the track names being very similar. As she did at Café Oto, Wassermann gives a bravura vocal performance which goes way beyond the boundaries of "vocals," encompassing guttural growls, throat singing amplified by a contact mike, soaring whoops, nose flute and the ever-present assortment of whistles. While Minton himself and Tuvan throat singer Sainkho Namtchylak may occasionally spring to mind for comparison purposes, the truth is that Wassermann is unique and unrivalled. She has made many fine albums in the company of others, but to hear Wassermann alone is to hear her at her free, unfettered best. Although the album took seven years to arrive, the end product is more than worth it.
Track Listing
Strange Song 1; Strange Song 2; Strange Song 3; Strange Song 4; Strange Song 5; Strange Song 6;
Strange Song 7; Strange Song 8; Strange Song 9; Strange Song 10.
All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create 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.
You Can Help
To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve 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.
We sent a confirmation message to . Look for it, then click the link to activate your account. If you don’t see the email in your inbox, check your spam, bulk or promotions folder.
All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create 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.
