Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Pascal Niggenkemper Trio: Urban Creatures

246

Pascal Niggenkemper Trio: Urban Creatures

By

Sign in to view read count
The Pascal Niggenkemper Trio is one that covers a lot of ground, and they deserve praise for that. But the trouble is that a distinct musical identity only emerges infrequently despite the fact that all three players are clearly well versed in the territory they map out.

Of the three of them drummer/pianist Tyshawn Sorey is perhaps the best known name, and any project he's involved in cannot be dismissed lightly. In this instance however the music is often marked by a kind of reticence that might have the effect of keeping the listener at a distance. Niggenkemper's "Poeme dans l'obscurite II" is an example of this where for all of the singularity of the musical landscape, the impact is minimal. Jimmy Giuffre might be as pertinent a name to drop as any with reference to this piece, especially in view of his preoccupation with Western art music as much as anything closer to the improvised music continuum. Sorey's "The Day After Tomorrow" gets closer to a point in terms of its passing evocation of the Spontaneous Music Ensemble with sounds both tempered and untempered melding in a fashion which suggests the matter of notes on paper is fairly negligible in terms of the music's realisation.

"I Am Surprised" is underscored by a heavy measure of restraint but then this is a group that doesn't deal in overt emotionalism. On soprano sax Robin Verheyendoesn't possess a strikingly original sound but his approach is right in keeping with that of his musical cohorts. The momentum of the piece is generated collectively as opposed to the input of any given player, with the music consequently emerging as a three way conversation, rife with all the notions of equality that implies.

When the group does blow as such it's with a playful spirit, as on "Rush Hour in the Bathtub" where the dance is that of equals, with Torey showing what a powerfully effective drummer he can be and the leader taking care of things at the bottom end. Verheyen is on soprano again on this one and perhaps because of the nature of the piece, his musical personality emerges more clearly.

"Poeme dans l'obscurite I" unsurprisingly predates the mood of its later reading, with a notable degree of overlap between the two pieces. There is however little that's compelling about the music's indeterminate progress for all of the atmospheres the trio teases out.

Track Listing

Brothers; Rush Hour in the Bathtub; Poeme dans l'obscurite I; Yesterday; Today; Tomorrow; The Day After Tomorrow; I Am Surprised; Roger; Feuervogel; Poeme dans l'obscurite II.

Personnel

Robin Verheyen: tenor sax, soprano sax; Pascal Niggenkemper: bass; Tyshawn Sorey: drums, piano.

Album information

Title: Urban Creatures | Year Released: 2010 | Record Label: Jazz Haus Musik

Comments

Tags


For the Love of Jazz
Get the Jazz Near You newsletter 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.

More

Love Is Passing Thru
Roberto Magris
Sensual
Rachel Z
Over and Over
Tony Monaco Trio

Popular

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.