Ulrich Drechsler Quartet - Humans & Places (2006)

Cracked Anegg Records, LC 09587 http://www.crackshop.at/index.php?cPath=112_199 * Ulrich Drechsler: bass clarinet * Tord Gustavsen: piano * Oliver Steger: double bass * Jörg Mikula: drums Homepage: http://www.ulrichdrechsler.com/ Reviews ~~~~~~ By Mark Corroto http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=23241 by Stef Allaboutjazz introduces the album with the following sentence "Ulrich Drechsler asks and answers the question: how can the saddest music in the world be delivered with so much hope?" and I think that couldn't be more accurate. This is mainstream jazz with an open mind, and Drechsler makes something unique out of his debut album. His bass clarinet indeed touches upon the extremes of human emotions, between sadness and hope, between melancholia and joy. Again, I will take Myriam Alter's album "If" as a reference : a chamber-like atmosphere, a lightness of touch, carefully crafted compositions, excellent interplay, beautiful melodies, a sense of fragility throughout, and a sadness, sadness, sadness, .... just listen to "For Andy", or "Graceful Touch", "OSK", it will make you break to pieces when listening to it. This is jazz with an interesting mix of European urban folk or street music with an American blues feeling, very much in the vain of Gianluigi Trovesi or Tomasz Stanko. The band members are truly excellent, with Tord Gustavsen on piano, Oliver Steger on bass, Jörg Mikula on drums and Peter Ponger on piano on two tracks. Great music.

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