Featuring:
Frank Gratkowski - alto saxophone, clarinets, flutes
Achim Kaufmann - piano
Wilbert de Joode - bass
Tony Buck - drums, percussion
| 1. Biomes | 11:08 |
| 2. Roughly Parallel | 12:18 |
| 3. X-ularities | 8:27 |
| 4. Tenuous Links Beyond | 7:37 |
| 5. Small Ways, Chasmal | 21:37 |
| 6. Tangible Thin Threads | 3:46 |
Gabriel Aniol - Jazz Podium
What does this quartet tell us about time and how to deal with it? You can definitely hear the passage of time in this recording, you can almost grasp it with both hands. Often the pieces germinate from the smallest sound structures and constellations to large format and to sheer overwhelming, to powerful pleasure in the moment. They are quite comprehensive improvisations, two of the six last over ten minutes, one even over twenty but not a bit too long, because this excellent quartet needs that time to warm each other up for each other in the respective piece atmosphere, no: to warm up. Both Gratkowski, with many clearly formulated references to Free as the driving force, never leveling, deeply dend on flute (for example on »Tangible Thin Threadsc), as well as Kaufmann, who rhythmically and minimally chordally progress always met adequately, as well as de Joode with meaty arco and pizzicato playing, sweating the rampant sound to band well-being, are consistently convincing. Buck's drums are changeable, but without setting too distinctive, individual priorities. Fixed time. And overcoming it: "Small Ways, Chasmal", the longest piece, comes up a mood and a flow - power and counterpower carefully balanced, Gratkowski and Kaufmann there: captivating and a feeling of immediacy that makes you long for live only more powerfully invaded. This band on stage: the dream of all dreams today.
