Trio 3 + Irène Schweizer - Berne Concert (Intakt, 2009) ****

By comparison with this band of four sexagenarians, many of today's young musicians sound old, stale and devoid of creativity. These four musicians, even if they took part in the creation of free jazz, modern jazz, free improv and new music, kept their fresh attitude to music, as a fluid thing to play with, to use to express emotions, to cry, to weep, but also to enjoy. The quartet consists of Irene Schweizer on piano, Oliver Lake on alto saxophone, Reggie Workman on bass, Andrew Cyrille on drums. They are so good that it sounds as if they have been playing for years, and those are really kudos for Schweizer's seamless integration in this routined trio. The music was recorded live at the Taktlos festival in Switzerland in 2007. Not all tracks present the full quartet. Each member of the trio has the pleasure to play a duet with the great swiss pianist: "Timbral Interplay" is a long and fascinating duet with Cyrille, "R.I. Exchange" with Workman, "Phrases" with Lake. "Ballad Of The Self" is just Trio 3 without piano. These are all quite enjoyable, but the best pieces are the ones with the full quartet, offering the richness you can expect from such a long musical experience. And again, they still have a new story to tell, after so many decades.

Listen to an extract from Aubade:


© stef