Gnigler – “Straight On, Downstairs, 2nd Door Left” (col legno, 2018)

“Straight On, Downstairs, 2nd Door Left” was released this year by “col legno music” label. Album was recorded by experimental music ensemble which is formed by six outstanding contemporary academical music musicians and improvisers – it’s Jakob Gnigler (compositions, tenor sax), Philipp Harnisch (alto saxophone), Alexander Kranabetter (trumpet), Simon Frick (e-violin), Judith Ferstl (double bass) and Niki Dolp (drums). These six musicians are outstanding jazz musicians – their playing style is based on synthesis of different jazz styles and playing manners. Their music is unpredictable, full of spontaneous and sudden stylistic waves and turns, huge range of musical expressions and other musical language elements. The musical language of their improvisations is especially bright, colorful, expressive and vivid. All six musicians masterfully use experimental playing techniques, combine together opposite and different expressions, rhythms, sounds and timbres, which are highly contrasting with each other. The attention to creative, free and interesting improvising is the key and the main idea of “Gringler” improvisations. The compositions of this ensemble are based on free structure, spontaneous, expressive and passionate improvising, have turbulent, sharp, dynamic and contrasting sound. Each musician improvises different, has unique and original playing manner – contrasting, expressive, individual and independent melodies by all six musicians are masterfully connected together in one place and create original, energetic, vivid, striking and innovative musical language and sound.

The compositions of the newest album of “Gringler” are very dynamic and expressive. Avant-garde jazz, bebop, post-bop, hard-bop elements, other intonations of various modern and contemporary jazz styles, are organically synthesized together. This music is formed by many different, individual and colorful episodes, melodies and musical language elements. The musical language of these improvisations is based on contrasts, different styles, playing manners, techniques and other elements. From collective turbulent and energetic improvisations to silent, harsh and sharp sound, dramatic culminations, expressive and vivid melodies, spontaneous solos and unusual timbres. Musicians use various elements of rock, contemporary academical, minimalistic music in their improvisations. There’s also are heard some soft and unclear intonations of various world countries, Asian and Arrabean music and other music elements which are gently fused together. Bright and colorful harmony, various types of chords and pitches, different kinds of scales, dynamics, rhythms and musical expressions, intonations of different music styles and other elements create very rich, colorful and innovative musical language. Tenor and alto saxophones melodies, bright and loud trumpet solos, harsh and shrieky e-violin sounds form interesting melodic pattern. Each improviser is improvising individualy and differently from the others. The saxophones solos are especially expressive and colorful – they have vivid, vivacious, striking and expressive sound. Wild fast and furious solos are filled with unusual and strange noises, very active and rapid passages, arpeggios, loud and powerful blow outs, free and turbulent spontaneous solos and other elements. Sharp blow outs, astonishing riffs organically get the intonations of contemporary, modern or traditional jazz or turn out to powerful and vibrant collective improvisations. Trumpet solos have bright and deep sound. Passionate, bright, vivacious and dynamic solos are based on musical experiments, the synthesis between traditional and experimental playing techniques, search of unusual timbres and many other elements. Reeds and brass improvisations make an effort to whole sound – make the sound much more live, energetic and vibrant. E-violin improvisations are variable and dynamic. All kinds of different playing techniques and musical expresions are used here. From silent, subtle or harsh and depressive improvisations to dramatic, expressive and vivid solos – all these contrasting and different episodes are masterfully fused together in one place. Double bass improvisations keep solid bass section and also make an effort to the melodic pattern – its deep, vibrant, dark or subtle and silent sound are highly contrasting with the improvisations of other instruments. Solid, firm and static bass line is put together against vibrant, virtuosic and dynamic passages or free improvisations. Drum section is dynamic – this is the place there the basic elements of many different jazz styles are combined in one place. Wild fast and virtuosic bebop solos, static, solid and firm rhythmic get more intonations of contemporary and traditional jazz and finally it gets to the culmination – turbulent, free and spontaneous collective improvisations with musical experiments, unusual timbres, weird and colorful percussion sounds, rapid, expressive and vivid drum rolls and many other elements. The music of this album has especially dynamic and contrasting sound – it’s the masterful synthesis between various jazz styles, moods, rhythms and astonishing improvising of all six musicians.

 

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