MICHAEL WOLLNEY- Nachtfahrten
(ACT 9592-2)
Micheal Wollney (piano); Christian Weber (bass); Eric Schaefer (drums).
After the astounding success of the German trio’s previous recording ‘Weltentraum’ the prospect of a new album was met with considerable excitement. This album however does not necessarily represent an enormous leap forward but instead offers a development along similar themes. Abandoning the basic structures of jazz (as this recording does) as well as incorporating influences from Schubert and popular music this is a challenging listen. As the title might suggest the minimalistic stripped down sound has a late night feel to it. However as some of the tracks listed indicate (such as ‘nocturne’ and the spell binding ‘white moon’) much of the music has an unsettled feel alerting the listener to the unexplained and unexpected. The album carefully offers no final resolution of these elements with much of the music working on suggestive phrases rather than fully formed musical statements. This is a brave and provocative piece of music that ultimately may leave many jazz listeners cold. However what can’t be doubted is the spirit of adventure that resonates through all of the music presented here as Michael Wollny continues his journey to a destination as yet unknown.
Reviewed by Nick Stevenson
(ACT 9592-2)
Micheal Wollney (piano); Christian Weber (bass); Eric Schaefer (drums).
After the astounding success of the German trio’s previous recording ‘Weltentraum’ the prospect of a new album was met with considerable excitement. This album however does not necessarily represent an enormous leap forward but instead offers a development along similar themes. Abandoning the basic structures of jazz (as this recording does) as well as incorporating influences from Schubert and popular music this is a challenging listen. As the title might suggest the minimalistic stripped down sound has a late night feel to it. However as some of the tracks listed indicate (such as ‘nocturne’ and the spell binding ‘white moon’) much of the music has an unsettled feel alerting the listener to the unexplained and unexpected. The album carefully offers no final resolution of these elements with much of the music working on suggestive phrases rather than fully formed musical statements. This is a brave and provocative piece of music that ultimately may leave many jazz listeners cold. However what can’t be doubted is the spirit of adventure that resonates through all of the music presented here as Michael Wollny continues his journey to a destination as yet unknown.
Reviewed by Nick Stevenson
