Grünen - Pith & Twig (2014)

Clean Feed Records: CF311CD
http://www.cleanfeed-records.com/product/pith-and-twig/



* Achim Kaufmann : piano
* Robert Landfermann : bass
* Christian Lillinger : drums

http://www.achimkaufmann.com/pithandtwig.html
http://www.christian-lillinger.com/PROJECTS/GRUENEN.html
http://www.allmusic.com/artist/gr%C3%BCnen-mn0003349457

http://www.achimkaufmann.com/
http://www.robertlandfermann.com/
http://www.christian-lillinger.com/

Recorded by Christian Heck at Studio Loft, Köln
(Cologne, Germany), October 2012 and May 2013.
http://www.loftkoeln.de/index.php?id=30&no_cache=1&tx_ttnews[tt_news]=2130

Tracks 3 & 6 recorded live at the Loft, Köln, April 22, 2012.

Reviews

By Stef
http://www.freejazzblog.org/2015/01/piano-trios.html

Their debut album of 2010 has turned into the name of the trio consisting of
Achim Kaufmann on piano, Robert Landfermann on bass and Christian Lillinger on
drums. Their sophomore release delivers the promise of the first one, and we
can only be sad that it took four years to hear them again on record.

Some tracks are very short, built around composed ideas, quite inventive, and
full of open and unexpected interactions, others are longer, such as the albums
centerpiece, "Foliage Misconstrued", which is a nervous, angular, intense
seventeen minute workout, with all three instruments giving their best in a
complex dynamic that is both physical and lyrical, full of contradictions and
inherent tension that suddenly turns into a slow eery soundscape, full of dark
rumblings and distant scraping.

On "Chitin", the extended techniques reign to create an ominous atmosphere of
fragility and vulnerability, hesitating to see how far sounds can be stretched
before they burst. "Mobiliar" brings us a percussion-heavy almost boppish intro
that shapeshifts into a calmer, refreshing, middle section, then shapeshifting
again into an open improvisation with percussive hits on drums and piano
creating a context for Landfermann's bass to demonstrate sonic pecularities.

The music leads you in many directions, of nervous agitation, playful boppish
treats, calm precision and avant-garde explorations into the nature of sonic
interaction, and most often all in the same track.

Again, three outstanding musicians who bring us some of the best piano bass
drums music around.

Don't miss either of these albums. The next equally strong album piano trio we
can look forward to is Roil with Raft Of The Meadows, but that trio will be
reviewed by a colleague.

--

By Grego Applegate Edwards
http://www.gapplegatemusicreview.blogspot.com/2015/02/grunen-pith-twig-achim-kaufmann-robert.html

By Marek Lubner (pl/en)
http://www.soundsgreen.blogspot.com/2015/01/grunen-pith-twig.html

Door Henning Bolte (nl)
http://www.writteninmusic.com/jazz/grunen-pith-twig/

Por Cayetano López (es)
http://www.oscuraeralanoche.blogspot.com/2015/02/el-trio-de-piano-renovado.html