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Steffen Schorn & Zurich Jazz Orchestra: Three Pictures
ByThe Zurich Jazz Orchestra, launched in 1995 as "rehearsal band," has obviously evolved beyond that status. The disc's opener, "Eye Of the Wind," swirls with swooping harmonies that glow with a luminescent, near-Gil Evans delicacy and lightness, punctuated by fine and inspired solos.
"Africa Suite I" is denser and darker. And wilder. It drives hard. An elephant may be heard trumpeting from a sanctuary of impenetrable sonic foliage. The edgy and frantic "Der Wilbotz" is a crazily frantic lean toward the avant-garde that screams out an edge-of-the-seat introduction to the majesty of "The Three Pictures Suite, Part 1." It's a majesty that, in the beginning, slips into mystery painted with deep, interwoven low tones. The suite as a whole is a masterful exploration of tone and color, of brightness and dark grays, of beautiful sweeping harmoniousness and attention-grabbing clamor, of well-rendered solos and finely-crafted ensemble charting.
All this from Steffen Schorn and a former rehearsal band that has evolved into a dynamic and distinctive orchestra.
Track Listing
The Eye Of The Wind; Africa Suite, Part I; Africa Suite, Part II; Africa Suite, Part III; Der Wildbotz I; The Three Pictures Suite: Three Pictures Suite, Part I; Three Pictures Suite, Part II; Three Pictures Suite, Part III. Der Wildbotz II; Keep Your Tongue...; Ballade.
Personnel
Steffen Schorn
saxophone, sopranoSteffen Schorn: conductor, composer; Reto Anneler (soprano sax; alto sax, baritone sax, flute, alto flute, clarinet; Lukas Heuss: alto sax, baritone sax, clarinet, alto clarinet; Christoph Grab: tenor sax, bassclarinet, flute; Thomas Lüthi: tenor sax, clarinet; Nils Fischer: baritone sax, Eb tubax, bass clarinet, cb clarinet; Patrick Ottiger: trumpet, flugelhorn; Christian Mück; trumpet, flugelhorn; Wolfgang Häuptli: (trumpet, flugelhorn; Bernhard Schoch: trumpet, flugelhorn; Daniel Schenker: trumpet, flugelhorn; Adrian Weber: trombone; René Mosele: trombone; Maurus Twerenbold: trombone; Don Randolph: bass trombone; Gregor Müller: piano, keyboards; Theo Kapilidis: electric guitar; Patrick Sommer: bass, electric bass; Pius Baschnagel: drums.
Album information
Title: Three Pictures | Year Released: 2018 | Record Label: Mons Records
Comments
About Steffen Schorn
Instrument: Saxophone, soprano
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