From bubbly happiness to penetrating anguish, the complex
kaleidoscope of feeling generated by Matthias Spillman’s Walcheturm,
Inviting Bill McHenry demands a hearing. In addition to originals
and improvisations, the album covers three standards that harken
back to modern jazz’s formative years – the 1954 Troup/Worth
composition, “The Meaning of the Blues,” the 1961 Mingus ode to
Charlie Parker, “Reincarnation Of a Lovebird,” and the wonderfully
playful 1954 Monk tune, “Locomotive.”
Spillmann (trumpet, flugelhorn) is joined by trio members Moritz
Baumgartner (drums) and Andreas Lang (bass), and they “invite” guest
artist Bill McHenry (tenor sax) to play along. There are two
masterpieces on this album. The Spillmann original “Moon,” a somber
and introspective number that, in its bluesy arc, gives Spillmann
the room to show just how ear-opening a sparse trumpet line can be.
McHenry and Lang contribute to the effect, creating a slow-burn
wallop, not unlike Ornette Coleman’s classic “Lonely Woman.” Listen
to how the opening and closing trumpet/sax duet set and exit the
stage perfectly.
The second masterpiece is the cover of “The Meaning of the Blues.”
Here the band again plays sparingly. Baumgartner adds choice
brushwork as Lang plays harmonic bass lines that blend underneath
McHenry’s whimsical phrases. McHenry has a terrific way of bending a
long note to convey emotion (think Dexter Gordon) and he always
finds the perfect note, even though he never blows hard. Spillman
solos on flugelhorn – providing a beautiful rejoinder that stirs the
soul. To complete the showcase, Lang enters with a deeply resonant
solo, highlighting the woodiness of the bass. It closes with
Spillman playing below McHenry’s moving arc in a trumpet/sax duet.
“Walcheturm I” and “Walcheturm II” feel like spontaneous
improvisations. “I” is hazy and introspective -almost lonely. Listen
to Spillmann play off Baumgartner’s brush work and Lang’s bass
wanderings to give just the right hint of melancholy. On “II,”
Spillmann bites off high notes and follows with a soulful abstract
exposition. As the piece develops, Baumgartner generates heat with
all over drumming and bell work underneath Spillmann’s stimulating
atmospherics.
Then there are the livelier tracks. The cover of “Reincarnation Of A
Lovebird” is like a swirling dance – bright and bubbly with plenty
of balloon-expanding, head-nodding gusto. On the spirited McHenry
tune “Apretada,” the saxophonist offers modern full-throated
syncopated voicings. Think Coltrane with twists. Monk’s “Locomotive”
gives Lang a chance to show his bass skills beneath Spillmann’s and
McHenry’s happy-go-lucky phrases, and he generates lovely overtones
with his solid plucks of the strings. And “Linsabum” is another
cheerful, jaunty composition, rumored to have been composed by
Spillmann’s 7-year-old daughter Charlotte. Here too the rhythm
section really shines, as Lang’s pure wood tone combines with
Baumgartner’s choice brushwork to give the number a solidly cool
vibe.
After repeated listenings to this album, one is struck by the
variety of feeling evoked by the strong musical techniques and
versatility of the players involved. Yet even so, the album numbers
do not seem ill-placed or contradictory. That is what makes it
magical – the album flows exquisitely even though the moods
generated are diverse. Highly recommended.