Time …

Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future (Wikipedia). Individually time is our life span, our personal sequence of events from the past, through the present into an unknown future. And in our time, we lived through revolutions, natural disasters, pandemics and everything else the world and human beings have to offer, good and bad. In my time I was blessed to have worked with musicians and their creativity, heard them perform and became friends in some cases. The music of our times, especially Jazz, was and still is the music of my life. The musicians have enriched my being and I owe them a lot … therefore I want to pay a short tribute to two musicians that made my life better – both through their music, one with the bonus of being a friend as well.

Wolfgang Reisinger 1955 – 2022

Reisl, as we called him, was one of the best and most in demand drummers of the European jazz scene for over 40 years. From his early years with the ‘Vienna Art Orchestra’ (1979 to 1989), with whom he recorded some ground breaking albums, to his work with Joachim Kühn, Ken Vandermark, Wolfgang Puschnig, David Liebman and many more, as well as for the few albums he released as a leader, his music will last for many years to come. I met Wolfgang first when hearing the VAO in the late 70’s and early 80’s in Vienna’s jazz clubs or while checking out ‘Part Of Art’, the small group he had with other Art Orchestra members – Wolfgang Puschnig, Uli Scherer, Herbert Joos and Juergen Wuchner. With Wolfgang Puschnig he as well was part of the experimental electronic jazz formation ‘Pat Brothers’, featuring Linda Sharrock, Wolfgang Mitterer and Jamaaladeen Tacuma, whose only album ‘No. 1’ from 1986 is still impressive to listen to. ‘Air Mail’ was another on my favourite bands in the mid and late 80’s and he was part of that one too, together with guitar hero Harry Pepl, sax player Wolfgang Puschnig and bassist Mike Richmond. When working with them on their second album, the wonderful ‘Light Blues’, which I released on amadeo in 1988, I got to know Reisl a bit better and we have been in contact ever since. That same year I had the Art Orchestra’s trumpet player Bumi Fian in the studio, recording his debut album for amadeo and Reisl was the drummer in the session. I can’t remember why, but I was unable to attend the recording and when Reisl called and told me that the session was a bit chaotic, I asked him if he could act as a producer for me and he immediately stepped in and made a wonderful album, which unfortunately was to be the only the trumpeter did under his own name. Harry Pepl made an album in 1990 titled ‘Schoenberg Improvations’, a play of words with Improvisation and Variation, which featured a midi piano which was fed by the guitar … a then wild technically adventure and Reisl was the drummer on this and the album featured sax legend David Liebman as well, whom he brought as they had met before. Reisinger was to continue to work with David Liebman over many years, forming a trio with French bass player Jean-Paul Celea and recording three exceptional great recordings between 1997 and 2001. From his albums as a leader, I would always pick the 2006 album ‘Refusion’ as my favourite – featuring beside the leader, David Liebman on soprano, tenor sax and flute, Marc Ducret on guitar, Wolfgang Mitterer on electronics, Jean-Paul Celea on acoustic bass and Matthew Garrison on electric bass. ‘Refusion’ is a powerful, modern jazz album with some of Reisl’s best compositions, some amazing individual and ensemble play, all sitting right on top of the master’s grooves. Which he always laid down with a smile. The world not only lost an amazing musician, but as well a great guy. Ruhe in Frieden, lieber Reisl

Vangelis 1943 – 2022

Born Evangelos Papathanassiou, multi-instrumentalist, composer and producer Vangelis, started his career in the mid Sixties in various avant-rock groups and had his first success with the band ‘Aphrodite’s Child’, featuring as well Demis Roussos. Through their magnificent album ‘666’ I heard of him for the first time in the early Seventies and from then on followed his own works from 1979 and the album ‘China’. ‘Antarticta’ was another one I really liked, as well as his Deutsche Grammophon release ‘Invisible Connections’ and of course the wonderful soundtracks to ‘Blade Runner’ and ‘Chariots of Fire’. Unforgettable as well the four albums he recorded with singer Jon Anderson, of ‘Yes’ fame, here especially the album ‘The Friends Of Mr. Cairo’ with the outstanding 12 minute epic ‘State Of Independence’. But for me personally his most exceptional work are the two albums he did with singer and actress Irene Papas, were he not only either composed the music or arranged some traditionals, but as well played all instruments and produced the recordings. ‘Odes’, 1979 and ‘Rapsodies’, 1986, are not as well known as his other works, but for sure worth to check out for the amazing music and immaculate singing. As a pioneer of electronic music, modern classical compositions and the combination of his electronics with voices, he will be remembered for many years to come. For me, some of his recordings form a small, but important part of the soundtrack of my life.

And this soundtrack is continuing to grow … here are a few new albums that I like and can recommend:

Harpreet Bansal / Parvat – Composer and violinist Bansal delivers with ‘Parvar’ her first classical album. Classical here in the sense of combining Indian classical music, ragas, with a European symphonic sensibility and sound. Recorded with Vojtech Prochazka on harmonium, Sanskriti Shrestha on tabla and the Norwegian Radio Orchestra under Hannu Koivula, the three-part composition by Bansal is presented with delicate nuances. Bansal herself performs with a wonderful touch on her violin, soaring over the orchestration and the rest of the instruments with ease and clarity. It is astonishing how amazing the two worlds of musical culture mix here to become one, equally contributing to this touching creation. The orchestrations of the three movements, one each by Jan Martin Smørdal, Harpreet Bansal and Jan Øivind Ness, capture Bansal’s compositions perfectly, reflecting the moods, little melodies and grooves of these complex pieces. A truly special recording – highly recommended.

Armen Donelian / Fresh Start – Pianist Donelian recorded his latest album with a new trio, consisting beside him of bassist Jay Anderson and drummer Dennis Mackrel. I had first heard of Donelian as part of the group Night Ark, whose two albums in the 1990’s I released on Emarcy and liked his beautiful touch and melodic sense. Says Donelian about the preparation for this album: “Instead of focusing on what I was playing, I was focusing more on how I was playing, on touch, expression, and storytelling, allowing the sound to happen in its own way.” The album swings, offers contemplation in the slower tunes and even a surprise vocal performance by the veteran pianist. The Richie Beirach tune ‘Gale’ gets a wonderful treatment and is one of the highlights of the album, another one being the playful ‘Janet Left The Planet’, which Donelian dedicates to the memory of vocalist Janet Lawson and bassoonist Janet Grice. An outstanding piano trio album!

Reuben Lewis / The House Is Empty – No, this isn’t a jazz record at all, but it is a wonderful and contemplative collection of 4 meditative compositions by trumpeter and electronic artist Reuben Lewis, who as well performed, recorded, mixed and produced all music. If you allow yourself to be submerged in the sounds, go inside the music, it will in return go inside you and open up emotions and takes you on journeys unimagined. This is a very promising debut by this young Australian for whom musical genres don’t exist – all is sound and movement. Unusual, but utterly rewarding.

Jeremy Rose / Face To Face – Saxophonist Rose recorded his new album with pianist Steve Barry, bassist Noel Mason and drummer Alex Hirlian and confirms that he is ‘one to watch’ in the Australian jazz scene. Rose is an expressive and technically brilliant sax player, with a beautiful and full sound, whose roots are in the tradition of the instrument, but his compositions are modern and groovy. The trio supports him extremely well, with some great piano work by Barry and solid anchoring by the rhythm section. Outstanding tracks for me are ‘Religion’, ‘Queens’, the opener ‘Higher Ground’ and ‘Whispers’. Modern jazz, telling human stories with beautiful little melodies.