Thieke/Griener/Weber
The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse
Ayler Records | 2007 | Download
Michael Thieke | alto saxophone, alto clarinet, clarinet
Christian Weber | double bass
Michael Griener | drums
1. A Dispatch from Reuters 05:37
2. East is West 05:00
3. A Bullet for Joey 05:06
4. Two Weeks in Another Town 05:29
5. Unholy Partners 05:04
6. Two Seconds 07:29
7. Key Largo 04:29
Recorded by Thieke/Griener/Weber at Michael Griener’s
rehearsing room on February 24, 2005 in Berlin.
Music composed by Michael Thieke (GEMA),
Michael Griener (GEMA) and Christian Weber (SUISA).
links:
Listen on Bandcamp: The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse
Label: Ayler Records
reviews:
The group (Thieke, as, alto cl, cl; Weber, b; Griener, d; Berlin, Germany, 2/24/05) convened at the drummer’s rehearsal space for THE AMAZING DR. CLITTERHOUSE (Ayler 58), a short set of improvisations named for Hollywood films, mostly gangster movies of the Thirties and Forties. (A Dispatch From Reuters/ East is West/ A Bullet for Joey/ Two Weeks in Another Town/ Unholy Partners/ Two Seconds/ Key Largo; 38:17).
Their normal mode is a skittish Freebop trio-logue, trading phrases and rephrases of the instant compositions, but they’ve got a lot of different areas to explore. The three keep most of the tracks hovering around the five minute mark.
“Two Seconds” is the exception, a seven and a half minute excursion into nuanced realms of interaction. “East is West” opens very quietly, with held notes on alto, bowed bass, and careful cymbalwork, before growing more involved and mysterious as a kind of slithering tempo asserts itself.
One of my favorite tracks, “A Bullet for Joey” starts out with a rollicking drum solo. Griener is then joined by the thick sounding bass of Weber and an excitable Thieke on alto for a romping 5 minutes.
I’m not always fond of Thieke’s clarinet work, which, when he really gets going, tends toward the unpleasantly strident. But that’s about the only complaint here, except maybe the short playing time.
Good stuff.
-Stuart Kremsky, Cadence Magazine
Il titolo di questo breve (38 minuti circa) lavoro del trio tedesco composto dal sassofonista Michael Thieke supportato dal bassista Christian Weber e dal batterista Michael Griener rimanda al film del 1938 di Anatole Litvak con Humphrey Bogart.
Il trio è decisamente coeso, con la sezione ritmica che interagisce metronomicamente con il leader: il primo brano, A Dispatch From Reuters, è affidato ad un clarinetto meravigliosamente schizofrenico, che si produce in un diluvio di note spezzettate quasi fosse sul punto di disintegrarsi da un momento all’altro, esplorando nella fase finale del brano un fraseggio di ‘overtones’ ai limiti delle possibilità dell’ancia: il pezzo si conclude volutamente in modo sorprendente e brusco, lasciando spazio al rarefatto East Is West sostenuto dal basso di Weber suonato con l’arco. Note lunghe, tenute, espressioniste, impressionanti.
Un nervoso, scatolante drumming introduce A Bullet For Joey, doppiato dal sax contralto che sembra dovere stilisticamente qualcosa a John Tchicai: siamo di fronte al brano più ‘americano’ del disco. Una melodia pazzoide e ghirigoreggiante conduce il groove di Two Weeks In Another Town, uno dei pezzi migliori, dove il trio esprime forse al meglio la telepatica interazione.
Un altro episodio lirico è Unholy Partners dove al clarinetto, che si produce in un lamento giambico, risponde la sezione ritmica con eguale sensibilità e pacatezza (free…). Il seguente Two Seconds è il brano più lungo del disco, l’unico a varcare il limite dei cinque minuti spingendosi oltre i sette. Anche in questo caso la voce è sommessa, sax e basso suonato con l’arco disegnano uno scenario esangue che si anima poco dopo per estinguersi nuovamente, con un bell’assolo di Weber che lascia poi posto ad un delicatissimo intervento di Griener supportato qua e là dalle note soffiate del sax di Thieke, che porta a conclusione un brano dal sentore fortemente meditativo.
Key Largo, il brano conclusivo, con il ritorno al clarinetto, inizia anch’esso senza deflagrazioni, con una frase di poche note tese alternate a silenzi espressivi, appena agitate dal discreto uso dei piatti di Griener: un assolo sinuoso del leader, le solenni arcate di Weber e il carillon percussivo di Griener conducono alla fine brano e disco.
Nel complesso una prova ben valida, a testimoniare che ancora oggi non tutto il ‚free europeo‘ (che, sappiamo, ha un sound proprio) esclude la lezione d’oltreoceano. Interessante è lo stile di Thieke, che qui privilegia il registro ‘chalumeau’ senza abbandonarsi eccessivamente, salvo che nel primo brano, a solismi irosi, dimostrando ancora una volta, se mai ce ne fosse bisogno, quanto Jimmy Giuffre fosse in anticipo sui tempi quando registrò il seminale ‘Free Fall’ con Paul Bley e Steve Swallow nel 1961. Quella era la scuola, questi gli allievi.
-Paolo Cruciani, Kathodik
Ayler Records has recently been sneaking out some real gems as part of their download-only program. One such session is this fine (if oddly titled) trio featuring clarinetist and altoist Michael Thieke, bassist Christian Weber, and percussionist Michael Griener.
I’m accustomed to hearing Thieke in stripped-down, very spacious sessions (and usually without a drummer) so I was immediately pleased to hear him rev it up like Francois Houle or Frank Gratkowski.
As excitable as he can be here – shrieking and growling – he also has a patient way with tiny cell shapes, very Lacy-like (and his tone rules too).
It’s a satisfying session, taking in materials like the gorgeous billowing tone layers on „East is West“ to the bustling alto on the crashing „A Bullet for Joey.“ I love the texture of Weber and Griener, which comes across best on seriously abstract pieces like „Two Seconds“ – deep resounding bass tones and delicate waterdrop percussion framing the ragged alto.
Nothing particularly new here, but it’s very fine stuff.
-Jason Bivins, Signal To Noise
That less than 38½-minute CD is a prime reminder that the reductionist ethos celebrated on the other CDs isn’t the only sound coming out of Berlin. Each of Thieke’s seven compositions is a prime slice of go-for-broke Energy Music. Besides highlighting his alto saxophone, alto clarinet and clarinet playing, there’s a place for his rhythm section mates as well.
Proffering high-end rhythmic interventions is Zürich-native Weber – who among many others, has played with American saxophonist Charles Gayle and Swiss pianist Irène Schweizer; while the percussion add-ons result from the inventions of Nürenberg native Michael Griener, who has backed soloists as disparate as experimental trumpeter Axel Dörner and traditional jazz guitarist Herb Ellis.
Bobbing, ebbing and flowing in the currents available from breath, strokes and motion, the co-op trio parties like it’s 1969, the zenith of outer-directed Free Jazz. Writhing and wiggling timbres that are wrenched from his body tube and bell rather than his reed and mouthpiece, Thieke’s multiphonic showpieces are still profoundly logical. It may seem as if he’s shoving more notes into an aperture than can comfortably absorb them, but unsurprisingly the shape of these instant compositions immediately distends to fit.
Altissimo cries and irregular vibrations characterize his alto saxophone lines, which are then wedged firmly among the extended techniques of the other trio members. On clarinet his legato tone sometimes suggests the sort of absolute music he and Fagaschinski play in tandem elsewhere, or remain body-tube vibrations. On both reeds his most common strategy is to repeatedly parse particular note clusters until he’s wrung every last variation from them.
As easily able to sound a shuffle beat as bounces and ruffs, Griener’s clattering cymbals often mix it up with Weber’s chiming bass lines; and, depending on the situation, rhythmic accompaniment also results from chain rattling or stick whacks that are as regular as hoof beats. For his part Weber’s walks as easily as he scoots up and down the strings and thumps percussively at points as conclusively as his sul tasto sweeps define other pieces
-Ken Waxman, JazzWord
Wie der 1968 in Nürnberg geborene Drummer Griener ist auch der 4 Jahre jüngere Düsseldorfer Klarinettist & Altosaxophonist Thieke Mitte der 90er dem Sog Berlins gefolgt. Mit Projekten wie Nickendes Perlgras, The International Nothing, The Magic I.D., Unununium, Hotelgäste, Demontage oder Schwimmer und Neigungen zu abstrakten Minimalismen, diskreten Dynamiken und geistesgegenwärtigem NowJazz gehört er zum internationalen Improrhizom.
Herr Griener, der sich seit seiner Neuen Deutschen Jazzpreisauszeichnung 2006 offiziell ‚kreativster Solist‘ schimpfen darf, engagiert sich im Ulrich Gumpert Quartett oder mit dem Ex-Würzburger Martin Klingeberg in Babybonk und mit Thieke fand er Anschluss an die Lissabonner Creative Sources-Familie. Dem Zürcher -> Signal Quintet-Bassisten Christian Weber begegnen wir hiermit nun zum dritten Mal.
Beim Downloadrelease von TGW zeigen der bowlerbehütete Nürnberger und seine Mitstreiter sich als Edward G. Robinson-Fans. Auf den kieksig-quirligen Auftakt ‚A Dispatch from Reuter’s‘ folgt das dunkel-verhuschte ‚East is West‘ mit Haltetönen, die ins Diskante kippen, Cymbalsustain und brummigen Bogenstrichen.
Danach beginnt ‚A Bullet for Joey‘ mit Schlagzeugbreitseiten, Bassgesäge und vehementem Altogestöcher à la Evan Parker, das sich mit Windmühlschlägen Grieners auf einen Dumdumpuls eingroovt.
,Two Weeks in Another Town‘ ist ein neurotischer Blues, mit nervösen Pizzikati und quäkiger Borderlineklarinette, gefolgt von ‚Unholy Partners‘ mit heimlichtuerischer Klarinette und tröpfeliger Begleitung, die aber mit Besenwischern und hellem Schimmern ganz feinfühlig wird.
‚Two Seconds‘ mischt Brummbass mit perkussivem Muschelgeklapper, bis, von Thieke angestachelt, die Rhythmik schwerfällig Tritt fasst, sich gleich aber in einen einsilbigen Bass-Drums-Dialog verstrickt, in den das Alto sich spuckig und krächzend einmischt.
Bleibt noch ‚Key Largo‘ in seiner angerauten Innigkeit als 7. Beleg, dass die Klarinette des Düsseldorfers das Spektrum von Ben Goldberg – François Houle – Michael Moore – Claudio Puntin – Perry Robinson mit einem markanten T wie Thieke erweitert.
-Rigobert Dittmann, Bad Alchemy
Utgivningen från Ayler Records börjar mer och mer att anta samma tempo som tonerna i ett Charles Gayle-solo. De fullkomligt sprutar ut! Men kvantitet och kvalitet går sällan hand i hand. Följaktligen är heller inte allt så intressant, om än mycket är det. Däribland trion Michael Thieke (altsax, altklarinett och klarinett), Christian Weber (bas) och Michael Griener (trummor) som nu släpper en skiva inspelad Grieners replokal i Berlin 2005.
Jag har ingen vidare kännedom om någon av dem, men ser att alla har ganska extensiva diskografier där skivorna tycks pendla mellan jazz och improvisation. Så gör också „The Amazing Dr Clitterhouse“. Inspiration hämtas från „klassisk“ frijazz, österländska tongångar och ny återhållen improvisation vilket får musiken att rikta sig både utåt och inåt.
I exempelvis „A Dispatch from Reuters“ är trycket högt, Thieke har en fin glöd och använder ett brett register av klarinetten medan Griener och Weber harvar och rullar i den luftiga, men ändå tryckande ljudbilden. Den senare delen av „A Bullet for Joey“ går också i den hårda skolan där Thieke bytt till het altsax med spräckliga färger.
Många av låtarna är dock mer återhållna och långt ljudande (men låtarna är relativt korta, mellan fyra och sju minuter). I „East is West“ finns ett uns av österländsk karaktär i Thiekes nästan droneliknande klarinett. Det känns givande att trion – förutom i „Two Seconds“ – inte går över i det rent ljudskapande. I stället är det hållna toner som når ut i ljudrummet, inte minst när Weber använder stråken. Samtidigt får de österländska ingredienserna aldrig övertaget.
Michael Thiekes spel är mycket variationsrikt, oavsett om det handlar om sax eller klarinett. Han utforskar instrumentens hela omfång, får dem att glöda, men drar också fram deras inre och mjukare klanger.
Även om „The Amazing Dr Clitterhouses“ har flera olika skepnader, lyckas trion hålla samman det hela på ett bra och intressant sätt. Många gånger befinner sig musiken i ett gränsland, men det handlar ändå om jazz, om än en nutida och utvecklad form som inte alltid har swing i botten.
-Magnus Olsson, Sound of Music
Christian Weber joins saxophone and clarinet player Michael Thieke and drummer Michael Griener on The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse.
The seven-track, free jazz recording showcases a trio full of personality. Whether cleverly jesting with one another or supporting each other on forays into murky terrain, this group moves as one.
Even during solos, like when Thieke blows carefully into his horn on „Unholy Partners“, Weber and Griener’s presence is felt, gentle but sturdy, supporting their mate and filling out the sound with brushes and bass notes.
-Celeste Sunderland, AllAboutJazz
Udgivelse med en suveræn trio optaget i Michael Greiner’s øve lokale i Berlin den 24. februar 2005.
Musikerne der her var samlet til denne session var Michael Thieke på altsaxofon, altklarinet og klarinet, Christian Weber på bas og Michael Griener på trommer. Tre tyske musikere (går jeg ud fra) som jeg ikke kendte noget til, inden jeg modtog denne mageløse cd.
De spiller sig igennem 7 suveræne numre som de alle selv har komponeret. Det her er den vilde og intense fede free jazz, med Thieke i den overlegne førertrøje uanset om det er saxofonerne eller klarinetten han sætter for munden og de andre musikere følger hans ideer og udskejelser til punkt og prikke, lidt som om at de ved hvad retning han har tænkt sig at begive sig i inden han gør det.
Thieke lyder som en Jimmy Giuffre, på en af sine bedste dage når han sætter klarinetterne for munden og efter at have lyttet til denne cd, står det helt klart for mig at han er en fantastisk musiker. Jeg vil virkelig ønske at denne trio kommer med flere udgivelser i fremtiden, for det her er virkelig virkelig fedt. Det her er ikke noget sindsygt nytænkende eller innovativt fremadsynet, men for pokker hvor er det holder hele vejen.
Som en lille side bemærkning kan det oplyses at denne cd er den første hvor Ayler Records‘ faste cover kunstner Åke Bjurhamn ikke har stået for coveret med hans smukke malerier, som det ellers indtil nu har været tilfældet.
-Henrik Kaldahl, Jazznet