Spring (Irène Schweizer and Jürg Wickihalder album)
2014 live album by Irène Schweizer and Jürg Wickihalder
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Spring is a live album of duets by pianist Irène Schweizer and saxophonist Jürg Wickihalder. It was recorded on 6-7 February 2014, at Loft Köln in Köln, Germany, and was released on 15 September 2014 by Intakt Records.[1] The album features two compositions by Thelonious Monk, one by Schweizer, five by Wickihalder, three free improvisations, and, as a closer, Leonello Casucci's "Just a Gigolo".[2][3][4][5]
| Spring | |
|---|---|
| |
| Live album by Irène Schweizer and Jürg Wickihalder | |
| Released | 15 September 2014 |
| Recorded | 6-7 February 2014 |
| Venue | Loft Köln, Köln, Germany |
| Genre | Jazz, free improvisation |
| Length | 52:38 |
| Label | Intakt CD 234 |
| Producer | Intakt Records, Patrik Landolt |
Reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| All About Jazz |   [6] |
| Jazzwise |  [7] |
| Tom Hull – on the Web | B+[8] |
In a review for All About Jazz, John Sharpe wrote: "the overwhelming impression is of two sympathetic partners having a ball... Schweizer lays down a playful rhythmic framework calling on older tropes such as ragtime and barrelhouse at times, which lends a cartoon air to proceedings. Wickihalder matches her every inch of the way, deploying a wide range of expressive tonal effects, but fully integrated into the flow rather than as technique for its own sake."[6]
Marcus O'Dair of Jazzwise called the album "superb," and stated: "The sense is of musicians with nothing to prove... working together to create bracing and beautiful chamber jazz."[7]
Point of Departure's Michael Rosenstein described the album as "a strong one all around," noting the influence of both Monk and Steve Lacy on the music, and commenting: "this duo provides the ultimate homage by drawing on Lacy and Monk's vocabulary to create a personal sound all their own."[9]
Writing for Cadence, Bernie Koenig noted that "the interplay between the two is excellent," and stated that Schweizer's playing is "two handed but melodic, and she is always harmonically inventive."[10]
Track listing
- "Red Light Crossing Friends" (Wickihalder) – 6:12
- "Rag Irène" (Schweizer) – 4:39
- "Köln" (Wickihalder) – 6:40
- "Green" (Wickihalder/Schweizer) – 3:08
- "Last Jump" (Wickihalder) – 6:53
- "The Road" (Wickihalder/Schweizer) – 3:25
- "White" (Wickihalder) – 6:18
- "Ugly Beauty" (Thelonious Monk) – 3:17
- "6243D" (Wickihalder) – 2:03
- "Trinkle Tinkle" (Thelonious Monk) – 2:45
- "Blue" (Wickihalder/Schweizer) – 5:18
- "Just a Gigolo" (Leonello Casucci) – 2:30
Personnel
- Irène Schweizer – piano
- Jürg Wickihalder – tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone