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<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Florian Weber\u00c2\u2019s second ECM appearance, following a critically-acclaimed duo recording
\n(Alba, 2016) with Markus Stockhausen, finds the gifted German pianist leading a newly
\nformed quartet through a programme of his compositions. Openness is key here:
\nwhether paying tribute to mentor Lee Konitz on \u00c2\u201cHonestlee\u00c2\u201d, impressionistically
\nconveying the glittering \u00c2\u201cMelody of a Waterfall\u00c2\u201d, or generating impactful outcomes from
\nfragments of material on a conceptual piece like \u00c2\u201cButterfly Effect\u00c2\u201d, the intention is to
\nencourage fresh responses from the participants.<\/p>\n
\u00c2\u201cI see this album as a meeting of very independently-minded musicians,\u00c2\u201d says Weber.
\n\u00c2\u201cIt\u00c2\u2019s the first time I\u00c2\u2019ve had a band where what particularly interests me is the difference
\nbetween the players and their approaches to improvising.\u00c2\u201d He cites the contrast between
\nthe soulful, grounded quality of Linda May Han Oh\u00c2\u2019s bass playing and Nasheet Waits\u00c2\u2019s
\nfleet, free-flowing drums. \u00c2\u201cLinda and Nasheet are very different characters, but they
\nbalance each other in their exchanging of energies.\u00c2\u201d The Lucent Waters line-up marks a
\nfirst collaboration between Weber and Waits, the drummer being recommended by
\nproducer Manfred Eicher for the project. \u00c2\u201cI liked very much Nasheet\u00c2\u2019s playing on Ralph
\nAlessi\u00c2\u2019s ECM albums [Baida and Quiver], those are great recordings, so the idea
\nresonated with me.\u00c2\u201d<\/p>\n
Linda May Han Oh and Florian Weber first worked together in trio with Lee Konitz a
\ndecade ago. \u00c2\u201cThat was the beginning of a vivid exchange of ideas that has continued in
\nother contexts. For myself, working with Lee night after night taught me what it really
\nmeans to be spontaneous in the music.\u00c2\u201d There\u00c2\u2019s a difference, Weber suggests, between
\nthe contemporary emphasis on \u00c2\u201cself-expression\u00c2\u201d and \u00c2\u201cexploring what is actually there,
\nimplied in the material and in the interaction of the players.\u00c2\u201d<\/p>\n
Weber and Ralph Alessi have been in and out of each other\u00c2\u2019s groups for more than 15
\nyears. Latterly, Weber\u00c2\u2019s been playing in Alessi\u00c2\u2019s trio with Dan White. \u00c2\u201cIf I look at my
\ncareer to date, I\u00c2\u2019ve mostly tried to play with people that I feel close to, that I understand
\nwhere they\u00c2\u2019re coming from, emotionally.\u00c2\u201d Friends, of course, can still challenge each
\nother: \u00c2\u201cRalph always says that my writing and playing pushes him to play differently.\u00c2\u201d
\nThis is strikingly evident on \u00c2\u201cFragile Coccoon\u00c2\u201d, where an initially gentle piece bursts open
\nto feature the trumpet in a blazing admixture of lyricism and intensity, framed by Waits
\ndramatically powerful drums.<\/p>\n
There are, says Weber, several factors influencing the pieces gathered here. \u00c2\u201cPieces
\nemerge, a lot of times, as a feeling or a perspective on some aspect of my life \u00c2\u2013 in this
\ncase the twilight atmosphere of the touring musician\u00c2\u2019s world, and all the ups and downs
\nof that. Then there\u00c2\u2019s the compositional aspect: I\u00c2\u2019m always trying to create or shape
\nsomething which hasn\u00c2\u2019t, to my knowledge, been there before.\u00c2\u201d<\/p>\n
The degree of freedom given to the players differs from piece to piece. \u00c2\u201cOn \u00c2\u2018Brilliant
\nWaters\u00c2\u2019, for instance, I didn\u00c2\u2019t give them much more than the title: that\u00c2\u2019s a free, open
\npiece, although we end organically on one note, which does sound composed. I did tell
\nthe group that I wanted the album to have a sense of narrative, with interconnecting
\nlinks, of some kind. A motif that appears in one piece might recur in another piece,
\nperhaps reversed. Atmospheric ideas return, two pieces may have a similar instrumental
\nemphasis at certain points, or a soundscape may be similar. As a bandleader I think
\nthere\u00c2\u2019s a fine line between giving musicians too much information and not giving them
\nenough: I wanted the musicians to make their own thing, too.\u00c2\u201d<\/p>\n
Nasheet Waits has the freest role in \u00c2\u201cMelody of a Waterfall\u00c2\u201d, which takes its inspiration
\npartly from traditional Japanese drum ensembles: \u00c2\u201cI like the clarity and focus of that
\nmusic, its stillness as well as its passion and energy. I find Japanese culture and its ideas
\nfascinating and have tried to understand it \u00c2\u2013 insofar as one can, as a westerner.\u00c2\u201d
\n\u00c2\u201cFrom Cousteau\u00c2\u2019s Point Of View\u00c2\u201d references some recent diving experiences: \u00c2\u201cThe
\nchanged three- dimensional perspectives and transparency are central to this tune.
\nMusically it\u00c2\u2019s 3 against 7, both times going on at the same time, and you\u00c2\u2019re not sure
\nwhich one you should follow. I like transparency, but too much of it can make the
\nmystery disappear. And I also like the mystery, just as I like the things that are not said,
\nand the notes not played.\u00c2\u201d<\/p>\n
\u00c2\u201cHonestlee\u00c2\u201d, dedicated to Lee Konitz (\u00c2\u201cevery time I meet Lee I learn something new\u00c2\u201d
\nsays Florian), incorporates \u00c2\u201csome Lennie Tristano School ideas, but not Tristano-style
\nplaying. It explores some ideas he had about lines and counterpoint.\u00c2\u201d The piece also
\ntakes impetus from drawings which Karlheinz Stockhausen made at Darmstadt. \u00c2\u201cThe
\ndrawings illustrate some polyphonic concepts. I looked at them and immediately wanted
\nto write a tune. Wanting to dedicate something to Lee, the ideas converged. So we start
\nwith lines and then go into open mode.\u00c2\u201d Weber\u00c2\u2019s playing, exemplary throughout, is
\nparticularly affecting here. (Konitz, on hearing this recording, has said \u00c2\u201cFlorian is one of
\nthe most creative piano players I have ever played with. His music is totally free. He has
\ngot the texture, the feeling, just beautiful. I am very touched by this music. It feels
\ndivine to me.\u00c2\u201c)
\n*
\nBorn into a musical family in Detmold, Germany, in 1977, Florian Weber began playing
\npiano at the age of four, and by the time he graduated high school was appearing with
\nboth jazz and classical ensembles. In Cologne he studied with Hans Ludemann and John
\nTaylor, before heading to the USA and further studies with teachers including Paul Bley,
\nJoAnne Brackeen, Danilo P\u00c3\u00a9rez and Richie Beirach. In 2002 Weber founded Trio
\nMensarah with bassist Jeff Denson and drummer Ziv Ravitz. By 2006, Lee Konitz was
\nplaying with the group which subsequently formed the basis of his New Quartet, touring
\nwidely and recording a prizewinning album at New York\u00c2\u2019s Village Vanguard. In 2011
\nWeber founded the group Biosphere with guitarist Lionel Loueke, bassist Thomas Morgan
\nand drummer Dan Weiss. Florian Weber also continues to play with trumpeter Markus
\nStockhausen. The intuitive music of their ECM album Alba was praised for its \u00c2\u201cnatural
\nwarmth and character\u00c2\u201d by The Times of London. For further details, including details of
\nupcoming dates, visit www.florianweber.net and www.ecmrecords.com
\n*
\nLucent Waters was recorded at Studios La Buissonne in the South of France in
\nSeptember 2017 and produced by Manfred Eicher.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Florian Weber\u00c2\u2019s second ECM appearance, following a critically-acclaimed duo recording (Alba, 2016) with Markus Stockhausen, finds the gifted German pianist leading a newly formed quartet through a programme of his compositions. Openness is key here: whether paying tribute to mentor Lee Konitz on \u00c2\u201cHonestlee\u00c2\u201d, impressionistically conveying the glittering \u00c2\u201cMelody of a Waterfall\u00c2\u201d, or generating impactful […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":8649,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[172],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8648","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-unkategorisiert"],"yoast_head":"\n