Sandy Evans & Silke Eberhard – “What She Sees” (Rufus Records, 2018)

“What She Sees” was released on March 28, 2018, by “Rufus Records”. Album was recorded by two talented avant-garde jazz players – Silke Eberhard (alto saxophone) and Sandy Evans (tenor and soprano saxophone, toys, suling, flax). Both musicians are famous and creative musicians of contemporary avant-garde jazz scene. Their improvisations have evocative, bright, fresh and interesting sound. Extended playing techniques, huge amount of musical expressions, passionate and emotional improvising, original and interesting stylistic turns, virtuosic and touching passages, spontaneous and vibrant solos, specific ways of playing, special effects and unusual sounds – all these elements are just the part of their improvisations. The main and the biggest attention is paid to create extraordinary and interesting sound by using all possible ways of playing. Musicians are trying to expand the main technical abilities of their instruments. Saxophonist Sandy Evans combines in her music Indian folk music elements and experimental jazz. She had been collaborating with many Indian musicians and gently fuse the elements of Indian music in her playing and improvising style. Silke Eberhard had been playing together with such famous jazz masters as Aki Takase, David Liebman, Wayne Horvitz, Dave Burrell, Gerry Hemingway, Michael Zerang, Hannes Zerbe, Maggie Nicols, Joe Morris, Michael Formanek and many others.

Their newest album is based on avant-garde jazz elements. All the compositions have interesting and evocative sounds. The duo of two saxophones and illustrated by extraordinary timbres by Indonesian music instruments, have especially rich and bright musical language. Two musicians are improvising absolutely differently from each other. Silke Eberhard alto saxophone is full of expressive melodies and spontaneous solos. Powerful and turbulent blow-outs, passionate solos, loud and vibrant riffs,  wild fast and virtuosic passages. playful, joyful and energetic episodes, dramatic and rigorous pieces – all these elements are gently combined together in one place. Silke Eberhard improvising style is based on dynamic stylistic waves and sudden changes of musical language. She likes brave and innovative musical experiments, always searches for new and unusual timbres, special sound effects. Her music is full of different musical expressions, colors and moods. Abstract musical pattern, separate melodic episodes are connected together with turbulent and free collective improvisations. The abstract episodes are based on slow tempo, nostalgic and lyrical mood, unusual timbres and strange sounds. It doesn’t have firm and stable melodies or memorable solos – the main basic is made by sound experiments and weird sounds extractions. These episodes are highly contrasting with dramatic, energetic, dynamic, vivid, striking and vivacious collective improvisations, there Silke Eberhard reveals her own and original playing style and its main elements. Sandy Evans tenor and soprano saxophone improvisations are different and contrasting with Silke Eberhard saxophone. Sandy Evans music is the organic synthesis between various cultures and jazz styles. Avant-garde jazz, various experimental music styles, free improvisation, the main elements Indian folk music, Western Europe music basics, the traditions of Europe and America avant-garde jazz, bebop, post-bop, hard-bop and many other modern jazz styles are synthesized together in one place. All these elements make a right, contrasting, evocative and striking sound. The “conversations” between saxophones are especially passionate and expressive – both musicians are improvising inventively, colorfully and emotionally. Their music also has a colorful background, which is created by sevaral exotic instruments and other sounds. The music of this album has interesting and innovative sound.