Alder Brook

by François Couture This is a beautiful album following up on two CD sets released on Creative Works. Evan Parker teams up again with the Swiss quartet September Winds, and the quintet delivers 71 minutes of delightful improvised music. September Winds is a slightly unusual group. Their approach blends together modern chamber music and jazz without generating the tug of war one can discern in Rova's music (although, it should be admitted, the same tug of war actually gives Rova's music its unique momentum). And the group is quite fond of the bigger members of the reed family: surrounding Hans Anliker's trombone one can sometimes find Reto Senn's bass clarinet and Peter A. Schmid's contrabass clarinet, plus the latter and Evan Parker give the tubax -- a contrabass saxophone built by Benedikt Eppelsheim -- a growling test drive. The music was recorded live in a very echoing venue (is it the same empty water cistern as on previous albums?), rendering each and every note bigger than life. In "Klappe!," the five improvisers play staccato notes, or should one say clicks, and the listener gets the impression of a 20-piece orchestra instead of only a quintet. When Anliker breaks free and bursts into a loud solo, the effect is downright scary. But the undisputed highlight is found in "Z'blau Wunder Us Jenins," which opens with a soprano sax solo from Parker (and in echoing venues like this, his circular breathing takes on a life of its own; please refer to the wonderful Lines Burnt in Light) before the other players softly creep in and slowly engulf him whole. For this priceless moment (and few extra good ones too!), Alder Brook deserves a recommendation.