Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » LE POT: Hera

19

LE POT: Hera

By

Sign in to view read count
LE POT: Hera
This Swiss ensemble maximizes the pristine sonic qualities of a church —St. Romain in Raron —that combines a pure, organic soundstage with the complexities of highly expressive jazz and improvisational overtures, including impressionistic interpretations of choice works by famed British classical composer Benjamin Britten. There are occasions when the ensemble projects a thought-provoking ideology of an avant-garde spin on Miles Davis' Bitches Brew jazz fusion era, which of course was groundbreaking yet quite unconventional for its time.

Every so often, trumpeter Manuel Mengis wreaks some havoc atop budding song-forms and swarming dreamscapes along with Manual Troller's steely electric guitar treatments. The ensemble bridges lament with optimism along with keyboardist Hans-Peter Pfammatter's haunting synth lines and polytonal voicings. It's a wanderlust of tumbling patterns and captivating tonal structures. "Hamada /Requiem aeternam" is a Britten composition framed with disparate angles and a doomsday-like march groove. However, each piece stands on its own with many surprises on a per-track basis.

" Meanwhile" is a whimsical piece that sounds like a German beerhall romp with off-kilter interludes and other subtle shifts in strategy that amiably diverted my attention. But "Hey," is primarily a free form fest, pumped up by Pfammatter's bizarre piano phrasings amid the frontline's maniacal flurries and the rhythm section's undulating beats. In addition, Mengis' edgy muted lines and the keyboardist's EFX-based noise-shaping movements add a rather fiendish hue to the moving parts. Indeed, contrasts and unanticipated delights are in abundance via the musicians' boundless creative sparks and cunning aberrations from the norm.

Track Listing

Eyrie; Flint; Thus gamesters united in friendship / Ungrateful macheath!; Bubo bubo; Hamada/Requiem aeternam; Ranunkel und Viola; Badlands; Meanwhile; Raron/Requiem aeternam; Hey; Now until the break of day.

Personnel

Manuel Mengis: trumpet; Hans-Peter Pfammatter: piano & synths; Manuel Troller: guitar; Lionel Friedli: drums.

Album information

Title: Hera | Year Released: 2016 | Record Label: Everest

Comments

Tags


For the Love of Jazz
Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

You Can Help
To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.

More

Love Is Passing Thru
Roberto Magris
Candid
Sunny Five
Inside Colours Live
Julie Sassoon

Popular

Eagle's Point
Chris Potter
Light Streams
John Donegan - The Irish Sextet

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.