Dörner/Rodrigues/Kim/Flinn

Not only improvised by also international, the aleatoric chess game sustained over this CD’s almost 41 minutes depicts sophisticated lower case sounds which sometimes accelerate to block capitals. A first time meeting of accomplished creative musicians the quartet encompasses German trumpeter Axel Dörner, Portuguese cellist Guilherme Rodrigues, American percussionist Stephen Flinn and Korean tenor saxophonist Jung-Jae Kim. Except for Kim, leader of the JJ Motion band, all have extensive experience in similar settings on both sides of the Atlantic

Usually the trumpeter’s choked reflux, the saxophonist’s thin textures and the cellist’s string ratchets and pops unexpectedly inflate in tandem from hushed tones, to a strident mixture of  reed whistles, string squeaks and brass bites. Almost immediately though that crescendo shatters into brittle brass rips, cello string-stropping and isolated reed split tones. More repressed than the others, Flinn limits his contributions to random  drum rumbles, stick pops  or brief cymbal scratches, infrequently linking to horn breaths or distracted string twangs.

Evolving at a languid pace, punctuated by near-silent intervals, the improvisation eventually reaches a climax in its penultimate sequence, abruptly layering tremolo cello thrusts, whistling reed tones, the trumpeter’s half-valve smears and rotating, unattached cymbal pings. With the affiliated pressure remaining, but group sound deflating, string strums, reed growls and brass sputters give way to a conclusion defined by echoes from a heavily struck gong. Analogous to the hushed concentration of a chess match, fascination of this disc lies in following how these improv masters plot and express every move.

–Ken Waxman

Track Listing: 1. Chess Music

Personnel: Axel Dörner (trumpet); Jung-Jae Kim (tenor saxophone); Guilherme Rodrigues (cello) and Stephen Flinn (percussion)