Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Franz von Chossy Quintet: When The World Comes Home

3

Franz von Chossy Quintet: When The World Comes Home

By

Sign in to view read count
Franz von Chossy Quintet: When The World Comes Home
If there is one big story that can genuinely be said to have made the front pages since the dawn of time, it's the story of Adam and Eve's expulsion from Eden. Artists, poets, novelists, dramatists and composers have all sought to put their own perspectives on the tale. The latest in a line that stretches back into antiquity is German pianist/composer Franz von Chossy, who takes the story as the subject for a nine-part suite, When The World Comes Home, that is full of imaginative and, at times, extremely beautiful music.

Von Chossy runs his own trio as well as this quintet, and is a member of the Pascal Schumacher Quartet, led by vibraphonist Schumacher, Arifa (along with this quintet's clarinetist, Alex Simu) and the Felix Schlarmann Group. Alongside this busy schedule as a player, he has a developing reputation as a composer, a reputation which When The World Comes Home can only enhance.

Von Chossy's music is given life by his quintet of talented musicians. Its distinctive lineup, of clarinet, piano, violin, cello and drums, and serves to create some unusual harmonies and tonal colors—the combination of Simu's clarinet and Jeffrey Bruinsma's violin in the front line gives the tunes a fragile and ethereal quality that wouldn't be possible, were saxophones or brass to be used instead.

Knowledge of When The World Comes Home's subject matter might lead to an expectation of rather gloomy, downbeat music. Von Chossy defies such expectation, however, by emphasizing romanticism and beauty on many of the tracks. On "The Salt Companion," one of the album's key tracks, this romance comes from the contrast between Yonga Sun's driving percussion and the flowing lines emanating from Bruinsma's violin and Jorg Brinkmann's cello. "Eternal Elephant" gains its own more dreamlike beauty from the interplay between Von Chossy, Bruinsma and Brinkmann, while "Victoria Line" mixes an up-tempo urgency with slower, more reflective, sections, both of which feature some fine playing from Simu, Bruinsma and Von Chossy.

That's not to say that there is no despondency or darkness. "Human Dark With Sugar" is certainly dark and melancholy; "Along the River" evokes a certain sadness too, albeit within a particularly graceful melody. The title track draws the romance and the sadness together, as the quintet brings When The World Comes Home to a hauntingly beautiful close.

Track Listing

Perpetual Lights; Steps Of The Sun; Human Dark With Sugar; Along The River; The Salt Companion; Eternal Elephant; Victoria Line; Dust And Diamonds; When The World Comes Home.

Personnel

Franz Von Chossy: piano; Alex Simu: clarinet, electronics; Jeffrey Bruinsma: violin; Jörg Brinkmann: cello; Yonga Sun: drums, percussion.

Album information

Title: When The World Comes Home | Year Released: 2012 | Record Label: Jazz Sick Records

Comments

Tags

Concerts


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
Candid
Sunny Five
Inside Colours Live
Julie Sassoon

Popular

Eagle's Point
Chris Potter
Light Streams
John Donegan - The Irish Sextet

Get more of a good thing!

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