Within the last year, this is already the second release by this trio, which at first glance appears to be rather contradictory. John Butcher, the eternally young, great stylist of British improvised music (he recently turned 70 ) , once again creates unwieldy little melodies and licks in which he knows how to make generous use of the entire spectrum of his instrument. Here he is more reminiscent than ever of the other great British free improv saxophonist, Evan Parker. Chris Corsano, the drummer, knows how to push a band forward loud and hard, and guitarist Flo Stoffner, a sound explorer of the strings par excellence, on the other hand, are responsible for the atonal elements of the pieces in very different ways.
On the occasion of the first album Braids, I wrote that this was “rather music for concentrated listening and not for tapping your feet or even head banging“ and that it was “much more about precise musicality, crystal-clear interjections and a certain gentle thoughtfulness, but of course also about sound exploration and creation.“ The same still applies here. “Quiet is the new loud“ can still be regarded as the trio’s motto, because the music differs from the boisterous, powerful free jazz in a way that they refrain from playing their instruments in a rather brutal manner. “Terminal Buzz“, the third track on the album, serves as an example. It begins with a whistling and hissing, then the guitar gurgles from the background. The trio slowly comes to life, even if Corsano is still largely holding back. Stoffner, however, is already firing small salvos into the room, while Butcher chirps calmly to himself. With Stoffner’s feedback and Corsano’s trills on the cymbals, the piece unfolds more and more, like a bird stretching after waking up, yawning, then pumping, breathing and taking a run-up before taking off and gliding away in the final minute of the piece.
The Glass Changes Shape is actually a musical personification of life, a microcosm of what makes up our everyday existence. We try to make the best of it, but surprises and challenges lurk everywhere. They come unexpectedly out of the blue, they frighten and delight us, some we jump at immediately, others we have to deal with for longer. But that is precisely what makes them so exciting. The album is a lesson in philosophy, communication and poetry.
Highly recommended.
The Glass Changes Shape is available as a CD and as a download. You can
listen to it here:
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