Teis Semey Quintet. Photograph by Elmar Petzold.

Danish guitarist and composer Teis Semey first got here to my consideration a short time again with the discharge of his recording Imply Imply Machine. The album, which has aesthetically a punk rock wanting cowl, is definitely not punk rock sounding, fairly it accommodates 45 minutes of compelling compositions and spirited taking part in. Echoing this 2021 recording, the band got here out on the opening night time of the pageant in coordinated black and purple clothes (just like the album art work) and searching able to make a ruckus. They then proceeded to appeal the hell out the viewers with a mixture of kinetic, considerably knotty, and principally excessive power tunes. The guitar sound initially was harking back to late Nineteen Seventies John Abercrombie. With a flippantly distorted and edgy tone and see-sawing stress, the guitarist constructed a musical construction that served nicely as scaffolding for the 2 saxophonists. First, alto participant José Soares ratcheted up the strain in dialog with Semey, then tenor participant Jesse Schilderink got here in and swept up the remainder of the notes. Then, simply as one might have thought, “ah ha, they will punk it up now,” they pulled again. A elegant transition and trade of syncopated traces expose the sophistication of the compositions, and bassist Jort Terwijn and drummer Giovanni Iacovella saved the group firmly on the road between a straight-ahead trendy jazz pulse and a few sudden twists and turns.

The group on the pageant was barely completely different than the one on Imply Imply Machine, which is smart, that was 2021 and by some means, it is now 2024, however regardless, the album is price a point out as nicely. As an alternative of the double saxophone line up, the tenor sax spot was dealt with by trumpeter Alistair Payne, and it makes a distinction. Payne’s taking part in on the recording is melodic and slicing, generally shadowing Temey’s melodies, generally countering them, and whereas the 2 saxophonists do comparable, they accomplish that with considerably fuzzier, reedier texture. Some tracks that stand out are the opener “Solar Tune,” which begins with punchy syncopation and results in even punchier solos, and the nearer “Tragedie,” which options the guitarist’s fast depth and glorious interaction between the sax and bass.

On the Sunday morning, Berlin based mostly vibraphonist Evi Filippou and bassist Robert Lucaciu started the primary of two matinee live shows with a wonderfully becoming set of music. They opened slowly, as befits a Sunday morning, with a track penned by Lucaciu that started with gently flowing melody from the vibraphone. This was adopted quickly thereafter with Filippo ringing tiny bells and making use of a bow to the bars of her instrument. creating an eddying pool of ringing over tones. The arc of the set was fairly completely crafted, from the easing in of the primary tune to the energetic free improvisation within the center, after which on the finish a return to kind however with a bit extra energy. 

Strolling out of the theater in the direction of the lobby, a fast sampling of opinions after the set pointed to notably happy public. So, whereas there is no such thing as a recording but for Filippou and Lucaciu, when it does materialize, if it may well seize the spirit of what had simply transpired on the stage, it ought to be fairly the aural deal with.