SCOPES - Scopes
Whirlwind - WR4736
Ben Van Gelder - alto sax; Tony Tixier - piano, synth; Tom Berkmann - bass; Mathias Ruppnig - drums
This is a sparkling debut from a young, highly accomplished European quartet with a distinctive contemporary sound - ‘Echo Of Their Own Prejudices’ has tricky subdivisions over a pulsing 7/8 metre, but the melodies are contrastingly sweet with an edge of melancholy. Pianist Tixier has already impressed with his own releases, and here he demonstrates the same fluid virtuosity both on piano and on swooping mini-moog soundallike synth, while Ben Van Gelder is a ringer for Phil Woods’ full, bittersweet tone. Bassist Berkmann gets to show off his chops over the impressionistic, oblique harmony of his own composition ‘Chamberlain’ - ‘Aquaponies’ is a gently bobbing head-nodder, while ‘Balance’ re-deploys the synth for some mellow Weather Report style textures. Though the band was formed while all the members were resident in New York and soaking up the vibe of what is still the jazz centre of the world, there is a consistently restrained, even melancholy feel to proceedings. Even on the more uptempo numbers like the 12/8 ‘Whistle’ there’s a lightness of touch that seems typically european and that, coupled with Tixiers’ tasteful synth washes, make this album a pleasant experience, but one that occasionally threatens to slip away from the listener’s attention. ‘Lakeview’ (named after their Brooklyn apartments) is a more robust, swinging affair, and ‘Mode’ exploits the downtempo effectively to create a powerfully sombre mood, but ‘Nostalgia’ is more tinkling than characterful. Still, the sheer quality of the musicianship wins out in the end.
Reviewed by Eddie Myer
Whirlwind - WR4736
Ben Van Gelder - alto sax; Tony Tixier - piano, synth; Tom Berkmann - bass; Mathias Ruppnig - drums
This is a sparkling debut from a young, highly accomplished European quartet with a distinctive contemporary sound - ‘Echo Of Their Own Prejudices’ has tricky subdivisions over a pulsing 7/8 metre, but the melodies are contrastingly sweet with an edge of melancholy. Pianist Tixier has already impressed with his own releases, and here he demonstrates the same fluid virtuosity both on piano and on swooping mini-moog soundallike synth, while Ben Van Gelder is a ringer for Phil Woods’ full, bittersweet tone. Bassist Berkmann gets to show off his chops over the impressionistic, oblique harmony of his own composition ‘Chamberlain’ - ‘Aquaponies’ is a gently bobbing head-nodder, while ‘Balance’ re-deploys the synth for some mellow Weather Report style textures. Though the band was formed while all the members were resident in New York and soaking up the vibe of what is still the jazz centre of the world, there is a consistently restrained, even melancholy feel to proceedings. Even on the more uptempo numbers like the 12/8 ‘Whistle’ there’s a lightness of touch that seems typically european and that, coupled with Tixiers’ tasteful synth washes, make this album a pleasant experience, but one that occasionally threatens to slip away from the listener’s attention. ‘Lakeview’ (named after their Brooklyn apartments) is a more robust, swinging affair, and ‘Mode’ exploits the downtempo effectively to create a powerfully sombre mood, but ‘Nostalgia’ is more tinkling than characterful. Still, the sheer quality of the musicianship wins out in the end.
Reviewed by Eddie Myer
