Bhavan

Albenrezension

Few recordings can boast the exciting originality of trombonist Matthias Müller's vision shown here, in which he sports an eclecticism evidenced by broad stylistic range, covering a spectrum from jazz-infused melodies to radical freestyle excursions. The attractively angular "Celia (No quiere postre)" dips into the wells of more conventional hard bop before veering outside, while the stop-and-go rhythms of "Bhavan Rock" favor a non-swinging line that mimics shades of Anthony Braxton. Each track is different, from the pointillism of "Catalogue" to the grating repetitions of "Palm," but through it all is an unrelenting creative spirit marked by impressive soloing by each contributor. A jazz-rock flavor, reminiscent of Ornette Coleman's Prime Design Time Design, permeates much of the album without compromising artistic integrity, adding to the extraordinary offbeat sensibility. The more-or-less conventional instrumentation of trombone and alto in the front line with electric guitar and percussion is deceptive in its simplicity, as Jan Klare's fluid acrobatic technique spars with the trombonist's unusual non-formulaic attack. "Untitled/Undefined" opens with two horns intensely interlocking, spurred by Andreas Wahl's ramparts of passion, as the electric guitarist kicks hard and Müller supplements with tastefully distorted frayed sounds. You might think of this as music for disturbed dancers — or at least those with two left feet. A raw and disconcerting aura pervades, maddening and disjointed, the perfect fair for partying in an insane asylum. While the ragged abstraction of several of the pieces sometimes makes for difficult listening, there is no doubting the level of performance or its emotional impact.