Philip
Zoubek is an Austrian pianist and composer who lives in Cologne and is part of
the scene around the “Loft”, a wonderful location for improvised music and new
classical music, which is run by WDR Symphony Orchestra flautist Hans Martin
Müller. Zoubek is known for his extended techniques preparing his piano with
pots, plastic stuff and glass jars (and many more) but for this album he has
chosen to put this stuff aside (at least mostly). His trio with Benjamin Weidekamp (cl, bcl) and Christian Weber (b)
refers to Jimmy Giuffre’s seminal trio with Paul Bley and Steve Swallow but
Zoubek intends to continue their approach adding his own musical experiences so
that the music is more than a mere homage.
“Pale Fire” lives from a constant clash of composed material and
improvised passages, Zoubek wanted the improvisation to take part in a complex
communicative space where all the musicians are aware what the others are doing
and where roles and functions are permanently in flux.
This is less intellectual than it sounds, tracks like “Melos” are
constant shapeshifters as well as to rhythm and sound, intensity and beauty.
The composition starts like a classic Giuffre piece, the melodies jump like jaunty
grasshoppers, there is a sense of wildlife on a summer meadow, lively, joyous,
exuberant – but towards the end the atmosphere changes: the sounds of the
clarinets and the bowed bass are gloomy and dark, only the piano tries keep the
mood from the beginning alive. There is immediacy and subtlety, there are
condensed compositional parts and extended improvised spaces and especially
when the instruments seem to melt into each other, the album has its best
moments – for example in “Two” (my favorite) and “Hu”, the longest track, where
Zoubek comes back to prepared piano.
My friend Julia Neupert (who is also the host of the SWR radio show) was
absolutely enthusiastic about the album and I have to admit that I was rather
reluctant after the first listening. Yet, the music has hidden qualities that I
recognized only after several attempts, it is music that needs attention.
“Pale Fire” was recorded at the “Loft”, most of the music was played
live at a gig the band played after two days in the studio.
Listen to an
album teaser
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