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Mount Meander: Mount Meander
ByAll show themselves to be proficient improvisers. Saxophonist Auzins displays a folky lyricism, often hewing close to tonal centers, although that's leavened by his muffled tones and sudden yodelling blurts on the choppy "Motoric Animal." On piano Leidinger uses preparations to emphasise the percussive nature of the instrument, particularly evident on "Politeness Is God." Elsewhere his probing lines blur the distinction between comping and counterpoint. Drummer Sauerborn proves adept at minimalist tappy dialogue and blends well with the spare but inventive Jacobson on bass, notably on their propulsive introduction to the spiky "Swung."
"Sunsail," which constitutes the first three tracks, forms a continuous performance which goes beyond the Coltrane echoes of the title to also touch on Ornette Coleman (Auzins sounds as if he is paraphrasing "Lonely Woman" during "part 1") and Keith Jarrett (occasioned by a stomping piano vamp on "part 3"). Unhurried conversational interchange dominates the determinedly egalitarian session, nowhere more so than during the introverted pastoral "A Bird In The Hand...." They range widely, ending the album with the doomy drones of "Bow," and while such breadth means there is no danger of becoming typecast, hopefully there will be some more in depth explorations too in the future.
Track Listing
Sunsail part #1; Sunsail part #2; Sunsail part #3; Politeness Is God; Thrill; Motoric Animal; A Bird In The Hand...; Swung; Bow.
Personnel
Karlis Auzins: tenor & soprano saxophone; Lucas Leidinger: piano; Tomo Jacobson: double-bass; Thomas Sauerborn: drums.
Album information
Title: Mount Meander | Year Released: 2016 | Record Label: Clean Feed Records