Jazzdor Strasbourg- Berlin-Dresden

(Kulturbrauerei, Prenzlauer Berg, Berlin. 8 June 2023. Third evening. Report by Sebastian Scotney)

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Final evening, the third night of the fifteenth Jazzdor competition in Berlin, I discovered myself above all transfixed by the craft of the 2 veteran American musicians current: saxophonist Tony Malaby and drummer Tom Rainey.

Neither is a family identify, however each are vastly influential, even indispensably so amongst musicians of later generations. Legends? Icons? Frankly, I’m undecided such labels are useful….and one should additionally that the context is one among teamwork… Rainey had high-quality bassist Bruno Chevillon alongside him. And but each of those gamers had been exhibiting their craft at an unflaggingly jaw-dropping stage final evening, someway collaborating within the specific alchemy which might rework and convey focus and function to the teams of gamers round them.

Saxophonist Tony Malaby successfully has a second instrument all the time at his disposal. He isn’t restricted to the standard, diatonic saxophone vary, however has developed the craft of manufacturing every kind of parallel tones, harmonics . It’s greater than a “palette” of extra tonal and microtonal colors, however moderately an astonishing and seemingly limitless expressive armoury. What was nice final evening was that he was being pro-active, leader-ish, throwing out challenges for the others to reply to. I cross my fingers this live performance. which had actual form to it, was being recorded. This was a set with an exquisite sense of stream and course, and one of many highlights of the competition to this point.

Malaby was in a trio with two prime gamers from the thriving Belgian scene, keyboardist Jozef Dumoulin (b 1975) and drummer Samuel Ber (b. 1995). Ber defined that the repertoire was a mix of his compositions and free improvisation. The truth that the three have labored collectively elsewhere as a trio many instances, and ever since 2015, was clearly bringing its advantages: all three sounded at their most ingenious and greatest.

The group with Rainey was a sextet with guitarist Richard Bonnet, pianist François Raulin, rapper/ slam publish Mike Ladd , plus bassist Bruno Chevillon. This was music with a lot of various things happening at anyone time, a basically busy approach of being. Rainey is maybe recognized above all as a vastly ingenious and artistic participant, however what got here throughout most strongly to me was his unbelievable precision in every little thing, a way that irrespective of how complicated the fabric in his half, and happening round him is likely to be, he wouldn’t solely nail every little thing, but additionally be the pivot, the spine and provides unmistakable indicators.

The third and remaining group ended this third night on a observe of hope. The concept that the standard of musicians coming by means of are leaving this artistic and specialised music in secure arms was palpable within the quintet of tenor saxophonist Musina Ebobissé. He’s a really fluent and robust improviser, (there’s an album on the Jazzdor label which reveals that effectively. He has a contrasting , equally authoritative voice subsequent to him within the group in alto saxophonist Olga Amelchenko  and a powerful rhythm staff of Povel Widestrand  on piano, Igor Spallati on bass and drummer Moritz Baumgärtner. As they are saying in France, “La relève est assurée.”