Matthias Spillman Trio inviting Bill McHenry - Walcheturm (Unit Records, 2024) *****

By Don Phipps

From bubbly happiness to penetrating anguish, the complex kaleidoscope of feeling generated by Matthias Spillman’s Walcheturm, Inviting Bill McHenry demands a hearing. In addition to originals and improvisations, the album covers three standards that harken back to modern jazz’s formative years – the 1954 Troup/Worth composition, “The Meaning of the Blues,” the 1961 Mingus ode to Charlie Parker, “Reincarnation Of a Lovebird,” and the wonderfully playful 1954 Monk tune, “Locomotive.”

Spillmann (trumpet, flugelhorn) is joined by trio members Moritz Baumgartner (drums) and Andreas Lang (bass), and they “invite” guest artist Bill McHenry (tenor sax) to play along. There are two masterpieces on this album. The Spillmann original “Moon,” a somber and introspective number that, in its bluesy arc, gives Spillmann the room to show just how ear-opening a sparse trumpet line can be. McHenry and Lang contribute to the effect, creating a slow-burn wallop, not unlike Ornette Coleman’s classic “Lonely Woman.” Listen to how the opening and closing trumpet/sax duet set and exit the stage perfectly.

The second masterpiece is the cover of “The Meaning of the Blues.” Here the band again plays sparingly. Baumgartner adds choice brushwork as Lang plays harmonic bass lines that blend underneath McHenry’s whimsical phrases. McHenry has a terrific way of bending a long note to convey emotion (think Dexter Gordon) and he always finds the perfect note, even though he never blows hard. Spillman solos on flugelhorn – providing a beautiful rejoinder that stirs the soul. To complete the showcase, Lang enters with a deeply resonant solo, highlighting the woodiness of the bass. It closes with Spillman playing below McHenry’s moving arc in a trumpet/sax duet.

“Walcheturm I” and “Walcheturm II” feel like spontaneous improvisations. “I” is hazy and introspective -almost lonely. Listen to Spillmann play off Baumgartner’s brush work and Lang’s bass wanderings to give just the right hint of melancholy. On “II,” Spillmann bites off high notes and follows with a soulful abstract exposition. As the piece develops, Baumgartner generates heat with all over drumming and bell work underneath Spillmann’s stimulating atmospherics.

Then there are the livelier tracks. The cover of “Reincarnation Of A Lovebird” is like a swirling dance – bright and bubbly with plenty of balloon-expanding, head-nodding gusto. On the spirited McHenry tune “Apretada,” the saxophonist offers modern full-throated syncopated voicings. Think Coltrane with twists. Monk’s “Locomotive” gives Lang a chance to show his bass skills beneath Spillmann’s and McHenry’s happy-go-lucky phrases, and he generates lovely overtones with his solid plucks of the strings. And “Linsabum” is another cheerful, jaunty composition, rumored to have been composed by Spillmann’s 7-year-old daughter Charlotte. Here too the rhythm section really shines, as Lang’s pure wood tone combines with Baumgartner’s choice brushwork to give the number a solidly cool vibe.

After repeated listenings to this album, one is struck by the variety of feeling evoked by the strong musical techniques and versatility of the players involved. Yet even so, the album numbers do not seem ill-placed or contradictory. That is what makes it magical - the album flows exquisitely even though the moods generated are diverse. Highly recommended.