New Quartet
Amir ElSaffar, trumpet
Tomas Fujiwara, drums
Tania Giannouli, microtonal piano
Ole Mathisen, tenor saxophone
New Quartet Live at Pierre Boulez Saal documents the initial encounter between trumpeter Amir ElSaffar's trio, consisting of Tomas Fujiwara, one of NYC's most in-demand and dynamic drummers, and Ole Mathisen, a tenor saxophonist of unparalleled technique and versatility, with Greek pianist Tania Giannouli, a rising star who has headlined almost every major jazz festival and venue in Europe over the past several years.
ElSaffar’s nuanced and vibrant trumpet sound, rooted in Chicago school classical technique, combining subtle ornamentation and microtones of Arab Maqam with Jazz influences ranging from Miles to Woody Shaw, resonates throughout the session, guiding the new ensemble into unexplored musical territories. The music ranges from intensely quiet and nearly silent to ecstatic and declamatory, with the microtonal piano ringing ear-opening and beautifully unconventional harmonies throughout.
The four musicians had a mini-residency consisting of two rehearsal days, a concert, and an all day recording session at the Pierre Boulez Saal in Berlin, a hall known for its phenomenal acoustics and legacy of its namesake, 20th century pioneer conductor and composer Pierre Boulez.
The live recording showcases vulnerability, wonder, and a sense of discovery, as the quartet navigates ElSaffar's material –– composed only three days earlier –– in front of a sold out audience. The results, a patiently flowing, spacious and graceful kind of jazz that is seeded profoundly with Maqam influences, left listeners at the edge of their seats. Musical gestures seemed to reveal themselves beyond the control of the musicians, who were discovering it along with the audience. The following day’s recording session allowed the musicians an opportunity to refine and hone in on the musical ideas, resulting in cleaner and more confident versions of the compositions (some of the standout tracks from this session are presented as alternate takes on the CD and download), but it's the live concert that contains the magic and ineffable energy that makes up the bulk of this album. Vulnerable as these recordings may be, they are also marked by a stunning and surefooted elegance, truly remarkable considering the conditions, especially with respect to Giannouli’s enchanting and powerful microtonal and prepared piano work.
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