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Stemeseder / Lillinger Quartet w/ Peter Evans & Russell Hall: Umbra II (Intakt)

Austrian pianist Elias Stemeseder and German percussionist Christian Lillinger expand their partnership into a quartet with brilliant New York trumpeter Peter Evans and double bassist Russell Hall, in this all-acoustic follow-up to their 2023 album Umbra in 13 avant jazz compositions, inventively lyrical and unpredictably impressive, recorded in the warmth of the Van Gelder studios.
 

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product information:

Personnel:



Peter Evans-trumpet, Piccolo trumpet

Elias Stemeseder-piano, Lautenwerk, compositions

Russell Hall-double bass

Christian Lillinger-drums, compositions


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UPC: 7640120194239

Label: Intakt
Catalog ID: ITK423.2
Squidco Product Code: 35196

Format: CD
Condition: New
Released: 2024
Country: Switzerland
Packaging: Cardboard Gatefold w/ booklet
Recorded at Rudy Van Gelder Studios, in Englewood Cliffs, New York, on October 9th, 2023, by Maureen Sickler.

Descriptions, Reviews, &c.

"Imagine a musical universe where jazz's avant-garde explorers join forces with the precision of Swiss watchmakers. In this paradoxical realm, the Stemeseder Lillinger Quartet thrives, crafting intricate sonic tapestries that defy conventional melodic structures. At the helm of this audacious ensemble are Elias Stemeseder (piano) and Christian Lillinger (drums), two maverick minds whose collaborative chemistry could power a small city. The Quartet features Russell Hall (bass) and Peter Evans (trumpet), crafting a complex and intriguing follow-up album with Umbra II. Adding to the album's allure, it was recorded at the legendary Rudy Van Gelder Studio, known for its historic significance in jazz.

"Myokard" highlights the quartet's ability to create an atmosphere that is mysterious and inviting. Stemeseder's piano lines are haunting and beautiful, weaving in and out of the shadows cast by Lillinger's nuanced drumming amid a subtly ascending groove and brash outbreaks via Evans' gravelly tone and bold statements. Moreover, Hall's bass and Evans' trumpet add to the sense of intrigue, creating a soundscape that is as captivating as a late-night noir film. If music had a Hitchcockian twist, this track would be it.

"Blendung" offers a change of pace with its more reflective and contemplative mood. Stemeseder's piano takes on a more lyrical quality, supported by Russell Hall's gently pulsing bass and arco lines with Lillinger's understated drumming. Evans' trumpet adds a touch of melancholy, creating a piece that is as introspective as it is charming. It is a moment of calm amidst the storm, like finding a quiet corner in a bustling city.

On "Mandelbrot Sagittar," the quartet's interplay is among its finest here, with each member contributing to a tapestry of sound that is both intricate and harmonious. Stemeseder's piano and Evans' trumpet engage in a playful dialogue, while Russell Hall's bass and Lillinger's drums provide the asymmetrical rhythmic backbone. It takes the listener on a journey through light and shadow, via restrained chaos, tranquility and exuberance. Yet "STKH pt. III" begins with the drummer's off- centered tom patterns and the trumpeter's sharp-edged lines, countered by the rhythm section's turbulent movements.

With Umbra II, the group have created an album that is as unpredictable as a jazz cat on a hot tin roof, constantly surprising us with its twists and turns. The quartet's fearless experimentation and boundless creativity offer a refreshing departure from the formulaic sounds that dominate the airwaves. Just remember, this is not music for the faint of heartÑit is a sonic rollercoaster that promises thrills, chills and a few "Did they really just do that?" moments. And that, dear listener, is where the true beauty lies."-Glenn Astarita, All About Jazz


Get additional information at All About Jazz

Artist Biographies

"Peter Evans is a trumpet player, and improvisor/composer based in New York City since 2003. Evans is part of a broad, hybridized scene of musical experimentation and his work cuts across a wide range of modern musical practices and traditions. Peter is committed to the simultaneously self-determining and collaborative nature of musical improvisation as a compositional tool, and works with an ever-expanding group of musicians and composers in the creation of new music. His primary groups as a leader are the Peter Evans Quintet and the Zebulon trio. In addition, Evans has been performing and recording solo trumpet music since 2002 and is widely recognized as a leading voice in the field, having released several recordings over the past decade. He is a member of the cooperative groups Pulverize the Sound (with Mike Pride and Tim Dahl) and Rocket Science (with Evan Parker, Craig Taborn and Sam Pluta) and is constantly experimenting and forming new configurations with like minded players. As a composer, he has been commissioned by the International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE), Yarn/Wire, the Donaueschingen Musiktage Festival, the Jerome Foundation's Emerging Artist Program, and the Doris Duke Foundation for the 2015 Newport Jazz Festival. Evans has presented and/or performed his works at major festivals worldwide and tours his own groups extensively. He has worked with some of the leading figures in new music: John Zorn, Kassa Overall, Jim Black, Weasel Walter, Levy Lorenzo, Nate Wooley, Steve Schick, Mary Halvorson, Joe McPhee, George Lewis, and performs with both ICE and the Wet Ink Ensemble. He has been releasing recordings on his own label, More is More, since 2011."

-Peter Evans Website (http://pevans.squarespace.com/about/)
10/2/2024

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.

"Elias Stemeseder: Born in Salzburg, Austria in 1990, Elias lived in Berlin from 2010 and moved to New York in 2015. Besides his main instrument, the acoustic piano, he also plays synthesizers. He performs in a variety of musical idioms ranging from the song-oriented music of Jim Black's trio to contemporary classical pieces by John Zorn to the electric music of Eyebone.

Current projects include collaborations with John Zorn (John Zorn's Bagatelles), the Greg Cohen Quintet, Philipp Gropper's "Philm", Jim Black's "Malamute" Anna Webber's "Percussive Mechanics", Robert Landfermann Quintet and "OTIS+WEDDING".

Elias Stemeseder has performed solo concerts at the Nuoro Jazz Festival (IT), Haus Der Berliner Festspiele (DE), 12points Festival Dublin (IRL) and Südtirol Jazzfestival (IT). He leads a Berlin - based quartet with Eldar Tsalikov, Igor Spallati and Ugo Alunni and co-leads the bands Jagged Spheres (with Anna Webber and Devin Gray) and Eyebone (with Nels Cline and Jim Black).

Since 2008 Elias has been working extensively with the American drummer Jim Black. The Jim Black trio (with Thomas Morgan on double bass) has released the critically acclaimed recordings Somatic and Actuality on the German label Winter&Winter Recordings and The Constant on the Swiss label Intakt Records. In 2013, Elias formed the collective trio "Eyebone" with Jim Black and guitarist Nels Cline, in which he plays the Wurlitzer piano and bass synthesizers.

Elias has received scholarships and grants from SKE/austro mechana and BKA Österreich Kunst und Kultur."

-Elias Stemeseder Website (http://eliasstemeseder.com/)
10/2/2024

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.

"Born in Kingston, Jamaica, Russell Hall began his journey as an actor from the tender age of 3. Performing in Jamaican adaptations of popular musicals to serious prose, he was destined to take the stage. Everything changed when he migrated to the United States in 2007. Under the tutelage of The Commodores, he discovered the bridge between the world of drama and the world of music. He progressed quickly from the electric bass to the double bass through the rigorous programs of The Dillard Center for the Arts and The Juilliard School. Now, he is revered as one of the most in demand artist in New York City, performing with some of the biggest names in music, dance and film. His work is featured on the Grammy nominated album "My Favorite Things" by Joey Alexander, "Motherless Brooklyn", a film by Edward Norton which was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Score, and HBO's "Masterclass Series" which feature Wynton Marsalis as a master teacher which was nominated for an Emmy. Russell's own work has been acknowledged with prestige in some of the most renowned venues and festivals around the world such as The Appel Room, The St. Lucia Jazz Festival, The Apollo, The Marciac Jazz Festival and many more. His most recent album, "The Feeling Of Romance", is available on all platforms."

-Russell Hall Website (http://www.russellhallbass.com/bio)
10/2/2024

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.

"Christian Lillinger (born April 21, 1984 in Lübben ) is a drummer, composer and percussionist of modern creative style and new improvisational music.

Lillinger studied at the University of Music Carl Maria von Weber Dresden at Günter Sommer from 2000 to 2004. Between 2001 and 2003 he was a member of the Bundesjugendjazzorchester.

Lillinger plays in the trio Gropper | Graupe | Lillinger, until 2015 under the name Hyperactive Kid, with the saxophonist Philipp Gropper and the guitarist Ronny Graupe, where he is largely confined to the conventional drum kit. In 2008, he composed his first band Christian Lillingers Grund, whose first two released albums were released at Clean Feed Records at the end of 2009 and 2013. In addition Lillinger works as a sideman with well-known musicians such as Rolf Kühn, Joachim Kühn, Miroslav Vitouš, Beat Furrer, Rudi Mahall, John Schröder, Barre Phillips, Ernst-Ludwig Petrowsky, Wadada Leo Smith, Frank Gratkowski, Simon Nabatov, Tobias Delius and Axel Dörner, Thomas Lehn, Michael Wollny, Louis Scyvis, Bruno Chevillon, David Liebman, Edmund Lehmugruber, Theo Jörgensmann, John Edwards, Greg Cohen, William Parker, Joe Lovano and Tony Malaby. Since 2004 he has been working continuously in the EUPHORIUM, the international ensemble of contemporary performing arts and music around the Leipzig-based Oliver Schwerdt, especially in the trio with Schwerdt alias Elan Pauer and Ernst-Ludwig Petrowsky. Since 2009, Lillinger has also been working in the Klaviertrio Grünen with Achim Kaufmann and Robert Landfermann, who presented a first album on the Portuguese label Clean Feed Records in 2010. Since 2010, Lillinger has also worked in the trio Dell Lillinger Westergaard, which also performed with John Tchicai. In 2011 he founded the Trio Starlight with Petter Eldh and Wanja Slavin, who moved his debut CD 2013 to the Swiss label Unit Records. With Eldh and Slavin he also founded the Quartet Amok Amor with the American trumpeter Peter Evans, who released his first album of the same name in 2015.

Lillinger is also a member of the following groups: Rolf Kühn Unit, Henrik Walsdorff Trio, Pascal Niggenkempervision 7, Ronny Graupes Spoom, Schmittmenge Meier, Marc Schmolling Trio, Wanja Slavin Quintett, Carl Ludwig Hübschs Drift, Hübschacht, Uwe Steinmetz Stream Ensemble, The upper class, Ember, Gerhard Gschlößl's group of four, Gerhard Gschlößls G9, KUU! And also plays with Joachim Kühn in trio.

From 2012 to 2013, Christian Lillinger was a member of the board of the Union of German Jazzmusicians."

-Wikipedia (translated by Google) (https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_Lillinger)
10/2/2024

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.


Track Listing:



1. Neue Form pt. I 08:58

2. Neue Form pt. II 07:06

3. Neue Form pt. III 02:29

4. Myokard 09:21

5. Resolution Points 04:06

6. Blendung 07:00

7. Baltum 05:39

8. Mandelbrot Sagittar 07:52

9. STKH pt. I 08:20

10. STKH pt. II 05:55

11. STKH pt. III 03:34

12. Dog 05:35

13. Eau-Forte / Strong Water 03:50

Related Categories of Interest:

Intakt

Improvised Music
Jazz
Free Improvisation
Jazz & Improvisation Based on Compositions
Melodic and Lyrical Jazz
NY Downtown & Metropolitan Jazz/Improv
European Improvisation, Composition and Experimental Forms
Quartet Recordings
Staff Picks & Recommended Items
New in Improvised Music
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