Samuel Blaser with Marc Ducret & Peter Bruun: Taktlos Zurich 2017

Swiss trombonist Samuel Blaser continues his upward mobility within cutting-edge jazz and improvisational realms on this live trio date as he realigns with unconventional French guitar hero Marc Ducret and utilizes the skills of resourceful Danish drummer Peter Bruun. Here, the trio merges inward-looking dialogues with an all-inclusive rite of passage, sparked by dips, spikes, free-form call / response processes, intense unison breakouts, and speedy, odd-metered time signatures.

Blaser and Ducret also execute buzzing angular motifs amid some bobbing and weaving. Moreover, the guitarist implements off-kilter phrasings, tinted with various distortion techniques as Bruun's musical drumming generates a broad, yet fluid pulse via this democratically focused performance. One of the many bright spots is the band's take on Stravinsky's "Fanfare For A New Theatre," combined with Ducret's piece, "Useless Knowledge." Essentially, it's an experimental jazz fusion spin on classical music, peppered with Bruun's rolling toms patterns and Ducret's caustic, distortion-fueled guitar licks.

Blaser's warm-toned classical notes morph into gruff and fluent improv sessions, where the trio intertwines semi-classical tonal swashes with ferocious improv and brawny sub-motifs. However, they lower the pitch towards the bridge section, featuring Ducret's gently stroked harmonics and Blaser's commanding jazz voicings and subdued semi-classical phraseology, finalizing the piece on a somber note. Nonetheless, this highly artistic trio eliminates any preconceived boundaries with effortless aplomb and penetrating storylines while slamming the gas pedal to the floor when the situation arises.