Saalfelden Jazz Festival 2024 (2/3)

 

By Sarah Grosser

 

Day 2: Saturday, 2024-08-24

THE TOTALLY MECHANIZED MIDI ORCHESTRA FEAT. VARIOUS ARTISTS
Nexus Stage Downstairs

(Taken on Thursday night) Photo by Matthias Heschl

MIDI Orchestra
Judith Schwarz - drums
Martin Siewert - guitar, electronics
Mona Matbou Riahi - clarinet, fx 
Chris Janka - guitar

Nicola L. Hein - electric guitar, programming for interactive robots

My plan was to see the exhibition piece by Sofia Jernberg and Tomeka Reid at the Brücklwirtshaus. Unfortunately, the "Brück" only seats 100 people, and it was full on arrival. Some stayed to at least hear it from the lobby, but for a festival with plenty to offer, this lesson was learned for the next time, and I hauled ass to the Nexus Stage for Plan B.

Mona scrunches up her nose in a happy grin when she hears something she likes- in this case it's the tiny, tinny, plink-ploink of a mechanized xylophone.

The improvised piece ventures from ambient, experimental tones and klang through to a more groovy beat-based jam. There are five different machines and five musicians. It's a respectful collaboration taking heavy cues from the machines. Occasionally the machines become a little dominant. The machines are fascinating but can get noisy, and sometimes the music takes a back seat to the clattering. It's a small crowd, I don't think this collective was announced in the app.

A bottle blowing machine, xylophone machine, one machine made from the body of a guitar,... an assortment presumably controlled by MIDI as the name suggests.

The space is a typical "white-cube" gallery with a glitching projection and colourful lights adorning the area, alongside some hanging blackout cloth to highlight the machines and provide a backdrop to the stage space. The high ceiling provides a cool escape from the brutal Austrian heatwave and it's a very comfortable space to consume such complex, "far out" music at 10:30 AM. Most folk have resorted to sitting on the floor to watch the cosmic jam, and despite the moving images and warm stage-lighting, the tone of the piece evolves into a rather ominous, dark, almost horror-esque soundscape. The tinkling glockenspiel takes on the character of a spooky possessed children's toy.

The bottle machine is a ghost, Mona "talks" into her clarinet like a trapped spirit or muffled radio, a distorted pulse flickers through from an unidentified source like a ghost motorbike. Occasionally, random viewers peer over the balcony at the show below, but the original crowd on the floor stay committed. The children in their ear protection are well behaved.

COURVOISIER / ROTHENBERG / WAITS
Short Cuts Stage

Photo by Matthias Heschl

Sylvie Courvoisier - piano

Ned Rothenberg - saxophone, clarinet

Nasheet Waits- drums

After an eight minute delay… It's the host! Götz Bühler is back! He announces that the band have decided to name themselves after the concert hall. So ladies and gentlemen, this is the new trio: "Short Cuts."

When Sylvie plays she rolls her hands and wrists along the entire length of the keys- she must have incredibly tough or thick skin, one couldn't imagine it to be such a comfortable style of playing. This is interspersed naturally with an imaginative and intelligent playing style, occasionally reaching inside the instrument to create percussive effects. Blink-and-you'll-miss-it flourishes of bright sudden high arpeggios accentuate a suspenseful mid-range melody while Nasheet accompanies on rolling cymbals and occasional crashes. They are evocative, and as animated and powerful as giant waves off the coastal shoreline, smashing against the spikey cliffs.

Ned's clarinet solo is breathy - it’s rapid, and expressive, but understated. Nasheet performs an incredibly speedy, tom-heavy solo with a super crisp snare (it makes a "cha!" sound). He seems to be channeling a primitive energy.

Sometimes Sylvie also contorts in her chair, slamming her entire arm along the keys. One can feel that she has a message to deliver and this is her wordless outlet. Ned is equally as prolific on the sax as he is on the clarinet. While this particular solo was more of a pulse, his lack of ego and this restraint make for an unpretentious saxual experience which is entirely welcome and thoroughly enjoyable.

The prepared piano sounds out of this world, particularly up the top end where higher frequencies are reduced to mere pops and plucks. It almost sounds as if it were produced on a weirdly randomized modular synth setup, but in fact it’s made from strips of gaffer tape.

A great little supergroup with a fabulous chemistry. The group makes up for their delay, spoiling us with a little overtime encore. A guy behind me goes "Yeeeee!" when it ends.

LA LITANIE DES CIMES
Main Stage 

Photo by Matthias Heschl

Clément Janinet - violin, compositions
Elodie Pasquier - clarinets
Clément Petit– cello

A straight up folky trio of cello, violin, and clarinet. Introspective and gentle with plenty of pizzicato action. It’s mostly pretty, compared to a lot of the acts so far, and it’s certainly much "easier." In an adorable French accent we are introduced to: "a piece from Burgundy… I hope you know where is… Burgundy."

Cyclical arpeggios with oscillating melodies over the top are tumultuous and dramatic, along with easier, more conventional meter and tone. Methods of playing are not as wildly experimental, and one could easily imagine this as the score for a dramatic indie movie or TV show. It’s more classical in nature. Bows come out for cello and combined with bass, the mood is sad, not depressing. But perhaps if someone was having a sad day, this music might have them weeping.

Towards the tail end we get some experimentation, and a more loose, free feel. The plucked cello is acting as an upright bass, providing the thick bassline while the violin twitters and soars over the top at breakneck speed, but not full volume, and still in control. The bass clarinet provides a woody, textural contrast and homey, familiar melody. One guy behind me goes "wow."

SYLVIE COURVOISIER - “Chimaera”
Main Stage

Photo by Matthias Heschl

 Sylvie Courvoisier - piano

Christian Fennesz – guitars, electronics

Patricia Brennan – vibraphone, percussion

Nate Wooley - trumpet

Drew Gress - bass

Nasheet Waits - drums

Totally packed out main hall where the heat has well and truly risen, from the 30C+ day. The air is thick in the hall but the compositions waft like a refreshing blast of cool sea air.

Today, Patricia Brennan replaces Kenny Wollesen on vibes! A worthy substitute, effortlessly "chiming" in. Sylvie has had a costume change from earlier in the day too, and understandably so. Everyone is looking forward to the cool temperate change tomorrow.

The soundscapes are peaceful and meditative with a hint of sensuality accentuated by Wooley's occasional muted trumpet. Piano and drums are in beautiful sync as they roll and arpeggiate together. All the while subtle hints of Fennesz's signature affected guitar, which provides a unique and distinctly ambient character for the sextet. An audience member mutters "Mmmm hmmm" in agreement after the first melody reaches its breakdown. A soulful, desolate, lonely trumpet. The older women in the back row who snigger at the more far out solos by Nate are in for a wild ride, if they think this is where it ends… far from it.

Despite the number of people in the group, everyone is given the space required to breathe, and to feel his or her place. There's an underlying sultriness to Sylvie's compositions that make you want to slow dance in the moment. As I write this, as if telepathically connected, Mary Halvorson starts slow dancing along in the aisle as she fans herself to beat the heat. This music would be perfect to listen to on a sweltering hot beach on holiday after a bad breakup. There is just the right amount of "uplifting" despite it not being particularly "happy" per se. Chimaera is a beautifully deep project. It's lovely.

THE MESSTHETICS & JAMES BRANDON LEWIS
Main Stage

Photo by Matthias Heschl

Joe Lally - bass

Brendan Canty - drums

Anthony Pirog - guitar

James Brandon Lewis - saxophone

Overheard once the Messthetics started to play: "What is this porno music?? This is way too sexy for Saalfelden! I gotta go check that out - that is too good to miss…"

The house is packed, people are dancing- it's the big party closer that the Main Stage has been craving. It's a big, fun, freakout with infectious heartfelt melodies and JBL's smokin' aces. The band is having fun and the crowd is mad for it. Not too much more needs to be said other than that the energy is palpable and the group have Saalfelden in the palms of their hands, which are presumably sweaty, given how hot it’s been today, and how hot it is in the Main Stage hall. The ballads are catchy and… also hot. The guitar effects are spot on. The mix is right. Really excellent curatorial choice to program this band at this time. Props to the team, and the killer musicians. What’s not to love about this?