ROGERS / RUPP / SCHUBERT
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Olaf Rupp electric guitar Paul Rogers double bass Frank Paul Schubert soprano saxophone new CD: Relative Pitch Records, New York www.relativepitchrecords.com |
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Free Jazz Blog's 2018 Top 10 Lists
"the enthusiasm of their interaction carry the day, making for a profoundly masterful and embraceable album." squidco.com
"There is quite a bit of quiet, restrained improv which sounds wonderful since it so carefully well executed, tight, thoughtful, organic. There are also some intense, explosive moments, when the sh*t hits the fan, but these are interspersed within a strong connected body of work which flows just right."
Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery
"Three Stories About Rain, Sunlight And The Hidden Soil became one of my favorite releases of 2018, it's diverse and uncategorizable music that continues to challenge me as a listener." FREEJAZZBLOG.ORG, Paul Acquaro
"Un album passionant et surprenant d‘un bout à l’autre." Philippe Renaud, IMPROJAZZ
"Considering how much great music has already been released on the Relative Pitch label, this disc remains near the top of the heap so dig in now!" Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery
Schon wieder ein Trio ohne Schlagzeug. Olaf Rupp hat ja schon einiges mit Schlagzeugern aller unterschiedlichster Provenienz angestellt, von Burkhard Beins bis Michael Wertmüller. Aber genauso, wie bei seinem Duo mit der Cellistin Ulrike Brand, wie auch dem Trio mit Jan Roder und Rudi Mahall, so fällt auch hier auf, dass gerade die rauhen, verzerrten Klänge der E Gitarre sich ganz anders in den Gesamtklang integrieren, wenn da eben kein Trommler dahinter ist, der das ganze allzu schnell in bekannte assoziative Bahnen treibt. Paul Rogers kennen viele wohl am besten von seiner Zeit beim Keith Tippets Quartett MUJICIAN. Sein speziell entwickelter Kontrabass mit 7 Saiten ermöglicht ihm gerade in diesem Trio sich extrem frei zwischen einer weiten Spanne von Registern von den tiefen Growls der E-Gitarre bis hin zum hohen Glänzen des Sopransaxofons zu bewegen. Frank Paul Schubert hat mit seinen Ensembles schon einige Erfahrung mit E-Gitarren (Andreas Willers bei GRID MESH) und auch mit dem Siebensaiter von Paul Rogers (bei ROPE). Er versteht es hervorragend, sich sehr vital in dem Spannungsfeld zwischen klanglicher Verfremdung und tonbezogenen Linien zu bewegen. Die Musik dieses Trios lebt von dem Vertrauen und dem Vergnügen, sich immer wieder neu in das Kommen und Gehen musikalischer Kleinszenarien einzulassen.
So here is another trio without a drummer. Olaf Rupp has quite a history of collaborations with drummers of many distinctive characteristics, from Burkhard Beins to Michael Wertmüller. But just like in his duo with cello player Ulrike Brand and his trio with Jan Roder and Rudi Mahall it is obvious that especially the rough and saturated Sounds from the electric guitar go together very well with the overall spectrum when there is not a drummer who pushes the whole thing all too quickly in the usual associative directions. Paul Rogers is well known from his time in Keith Tippett’s quartet MUJICIAN. His custom-made seven string bass allows him to move extremely freely inside the wide field of registers in this trio ranging from the electric guitars deep growls way up to the high sparkle of the soprano saxophone. Frank Paul Schubert has already a lot of experience with electric guitars from his group GRID MESH with Andreas Willers as well as with Paul Roger’s 7-string-bass in his quartet ROPE. He knows impressively well how to move vigorously in the terrain between extended techniques of sound manipulation and more tone-related lines. The music of this trio draws its vital energy from the joy and confidence that lies in diving over and over again in the coming and going of a never-ending stream of ephemeral musical scenarios.
Der Saxophonist Frank Paul Schubert (*1965) begann autodidaktisch, studierte dann klassisches Saxophon bei Lajos Dudas und später an der Musikhochschule Aachen bei Hugo Read. Schubert lebt seit 1999 in Berlin. Er arbeitet(e) regelmäßig mit Willi Kellers, Andreas Willers, Johannes Bauer, Matthias Müller, John Edwards, Mark Sanders, Paul Dunmall und Alexander von Schlippenbach. Festivalauftritte: Nickelsdorf Konfrontationen, Ulrichsberg Kaleidophon, Sibiu Jazz&More, Madrid Hurta Cordel, Lisbon Jazz im Goethe Garten, Wiesbaden Just Music, Hamburg ElbJazz, JAZZDOR (Jazz d'Or) Offenburg, Greiz JazzWerk#9, Nordhäuser Jazzfest, Stuttgart Saxophonfestival. Zahlreiche Tonträger auf international vertriebenen Labels.
Der Bassist Paul Rogers (*1956) zog 1974 nach London und spielte dort mit den Protagonisten der Englischen Free-Jazz-Szene, wie Mike Osborne, Elton Dean, Keith Tippettt, Evan Parker; John Stevens, Alan Skidmore etc. Er lebte ab 1987 für anderhalb Jahre in New York und arbeitete dort mit Tim Berne, Don Byron, Gerry Hemingway, Tom Cora u.a. Seit 1988 war er Mitglied des Quartettes MUJICIAN mit Keith Tippett, Paul Dunmall und Tony Levin, mit dem er weltweit tourte und zahlreiche Tonträger einspielte. Gemeinsam mit Paul Dunmall und Mark Sanders bildet er das Deep Whole Trio. Er spielt einen eigens für ihn angefertigten 7-saitigen Kontrabass mit 10 weiteren Resonanzsaiten, auf dem er auch Solo-Konzerte gibt. Paul Rogers lebt in Le Mans, Frankreich.
Olaf Rupp (*1963) spielt Improvisierte Musik auf der Konzertgitarre und der E-Gitarre. Seine organisch fließenden Themenentwicklungen entstehen weder durch Zufall noch durch dominante Willensentscheidung. Er beschäftigt sich in seiner Musik viel mit der geräuschhaften Klangfarbenwirkung mehr oder weniger stark verdichteter Bewegungscluster (Ton Murmurationen). Dabei ist jede einzelne Note ein charakteristischer Farbpunkt in einer Klangmatrix und diese "Tonfarbe“ ist wichtiger, als die Position dieser Note in üblichen Ordnungssystemen. Eine Reihe von Tönen erzeugt also keine Melodie, sondern einen bewegten Klang. Und die eigene Farbe jeder Note ist dabei wichtiger, als der melodische oder harmonische Überbau, mit dem man sie zu beladen geneigt ist. www.audiosemantics.de
reviews
A unique merging of free improvisation and chamber jazz, the trio of UK bassist Paul Rogers with German guitarist Olaf Rupp and soprano saxophonist Frank Paul Schubert use stunning technique in sensible ways as they present three extended works, energetic yet never frenetic, stretching their concepts through tight and enthralling dialog, a great achievement. In particular, Rogers' bowing work, especially in the high register, provides intense counterpoint to the Schubert's playing, from pointillistic to squealing and scattering runs. Rupp alternates from chordal work to rapid fire clusters that are never overbearing. The trio are a cauldron of sound that never boils over, constant in spirited playing that meshes so well that it creates a texture a listener can play repeatedly without catching all of the detail. There are introspective moments and great dynamic, but overall the enthusiasm of their interaction carry the day, making for a profoundly masterful and embraceable album.
squidco.com
Featuring Frank Paul Schubert on soprano sax, Olaf Rupp on guitar and Paul Rogers on seven string double bass. It has been a while since we’ve heard anything from UK contrabassist Paul Rogers (2 years), who lives in South France and has worked at length with Paul Dunmall and Keith Tippett in Mujician. Berlin-based guitarist Olaf Rupp has been around for a couple of decades and has more than a dozen discs of solos, duos and trios on labels: FMP, Grob and JazzWerkStatt. German saxist, Frank Paul Schubert, has also remained below the radar but has worked with Alex Von Schlippenbach, Paul Dunmall and Willi Kellers.
This disc was recorded in a studio in Berlin in July of 2017. The sound on this disc is extremely warm, clean and well produced. Paul Rogers, who has a custom-made 7-string bass & bow, has an extraordinary, completely distinctive sound. Although Mr. Rogers and Mr. Rupp have never recorded together (as far as I know), they work extremely well together, coaxing similar sounds on their respective stringed instruments. When the tempo becomes a flurry, it is difficult to tell them apart. Mr. Schubert also seems like a perfect partner, his soprano weaving in and out, while the strings dazzle us with their frenzied interaction. There is quite a bit of quiet, restrained improv which sounds wonderful since it so carefully well executed, tight, thoughtful, organic. There are also some intense, explosive moments, when the sh*t hits the fan, but these are interspersed within a strong connected body of work which flows just right. At nearly 70 minutes long, this is quite a bit to digest but I must admit that I was consistently mesmerized throughout its entire length. Considering how much great music has already been released on the Relative Pitch label, this disc remains near the top of the heap so dig in now!
Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery
La contrebasse caractéristique de Paul Rogers attaque d’emblée ce disque vite accompagnée du soprano de Frank Paul Schubert, alors que la guitare d’Olaf Rupp trouve son chemin entre les deux agitateurs. Le discours du saxophoniste est volubile, grandes montées, vagues de notes suraigües et déferlentes, le contrebassiste travaille essentiellement à l’archet et le guitariste, bien connu pour son travail de recherche sur le son, triture ses cordes pour combler, s’il en est, les espaces laissés libres. On ferme les yeux et on se laisse emporter par ce flot, qui parfous devient mélancolique pendant 70 minute divisées en trois histoires, comme l’indique le titre de l’album, dédiées à la pluie, au soleil et à la terre (cachée). Peu de repos donc, un discours toujours present,, certes mené par le saxophonist mais les cordes ne laissent pas leur place. Il y a du Bailey chez Rupp, du Butcher chez Schubert, et du Rogers chez … Rogers. Un album passionant et surprenant d‘un bout à l’autre.
Philippe Renaud, IMPROJAZZ Jan 2019
I was at first on the fence with this one. It is dense, there is a lot happening, and I was searching for the way in. Ultimately, it was the release concert that really opened my ears up to hear the recording. Seeing Paul Rogers man-handling his seven string acoustic bass, pulling sound of it every which way was a start. Hearing Frank Paul Schubert's saxophone work is uncompromising with its perpetual forward motion, both aggressive or subdued. In between these two, Rupp's guitar adds textures and tones, that feel like a connective tissue between the other matter, and adds percussive clatter to the mix.
The first track 'Rain' is a thirty minute improvisation that starts out with gusto and proceeds to travel through very peaks and valleys of intensity. The mid-point of the track is an exploratory run that is a high point of quiet collaborative listening and reacting, over an ostinato bass-line, Rupp plucks an array of notes, like dots of lights on a mountain range at night, as Schubert delicately outlines the think band of light over the peaks. The track builds back to the intensity that it began with, but differently. Now, it's a focused intensity, Schubert blows at the extreme end of the instrument and Rupp's guitar is blurting out thick lightly distorted tonal clusters, while Rogers throws in harmonics and rapid plucked lines. The following track 'Curry', begins with an open and lilting interchange of sounds. Schubert's tone is dominant at first, with quick lines often in the upper register, while Rupp and Rogers engage a give and take that keeps the foundation from solidifying. The trio proceeds to engage via several different approaches: Rogers offers sweeping pendulous tones, while Rupp digs deep into his bag of tricks and pulls out some surprising things, and Schubert delivers a reliable stream of melodic ideas. The third and final track, 'Yeast', begins with the musicians using the extremes of their instruments. Tappings on the fretboard, difficult to discern reverberations from the bass, and muted tones from the sax pool together as a swirl of small sounds that slowly (approximately ten minutes) gel.
Three Stories About Rain, Sunlight And The Hidden Soil became one of my favorite releases of 2018, it's diverse and uncategorizable music that continues to challenge me as a listener. FREEJAZZBLOG.ORG, Paul Acquaro
Der Grid-Mesh-Schubert verkoppelt hier den 7-string Double Bass von Paul Rogers, seinem Spielgefährten in Rope, mit der Gitarre von Olaf Rupp. Der hat mit ihm 2011 schon "Phugurit" ge-gliggt und 2017 daran angeknüpft mit noch Ulf Mengersen & Thomas Rehnert oder John Hughes & Rudi Fischerlehner. Schubert spitzt dabei die Lippen am Sopranosaxophon, und nicht einmal der Regen - ach, ihr wisst schon. Rogers schwingt zum lyrischen Tirili bei 'Rain' (31'36") den Bogen und Rupp triggert Klänge, die man nur allmählich als auch gepickt erkennen kann. Es ist nämlich nicht so einfach, Rogers als Strichmännchen und Rupp als Punkt-Punk klar zu trennen. Zwischen der prickeligen und schroffen Gitarristik und dem Arcozauber gibt es unklare Schnittmengen im rumorig dröhnenden und im flimmernden oder glissandierenden Bereich. Schubert lässt die beiden ihren Teppich knüpfen und klopfen und die Saiten spannen und polieren, er schwebt in höheren Regionen, in schwerelosem Rokoko. Selbst dann der pure Sang, wenn Rupp ruppige und Rogers knurrige Akzente ans kakophone Ende des Regenbogens setzen. Das Soprano ist darüber vogelig und schönheitstrunken erhaben. Doch wenn die Gitarre mit irrwitzigem Tremolo die gleiche Flughöhe erreicht, flattert es schon auch aufgescheucht, protestiert mit heiserem Schnabel und blubbert nur noch, über alle Maßen verwundert. Allerdings erstarren die Finger in der Höhe, so dass die drei neu ansetzen mit 'Curry' (17'34"). Schubert anfangs bodennäher und temperamentvoll, Rogers und Rupp mit verzahntem Pizzicato, dann alle mit gezogenen Haltetönen, schummrigen und krummen, die sie wellig und krakelig, pluckernd und keckernd aufmischen. Rogers hornisst cellistisch, lässt den Bogen sägen, springen, singen. Und Rupp trillert wieder wie mit Zahnrädchen in engster Korrespondenz mit Schuberts Tremolieren, das krächzend entgleist und dennoch zu schönster Schönheit findet. 'Yeast' (19'44") entfaltet sich aus kleinen drahtigen Kürzeln und luftig nonchalanter Sprezzatura. Unter Druck beginnt das Soprano rau zu schnarren, findet aber unter dem Flimmern, Zerren und Schwanken der Saiten zurück in die vogelige Spur und zu einem feinen Widerschein dessen, was Roberto Calasso mit Tiepolos Rosa vor Augen den "letzten Atemzug des Glücks in Europa" genannt hat.
BAD ALCHEMY, Rigobert Dittmann [BA 100 rbd]
Three Stories about Rain, Sunlight & The Hidden Soil” is another one new release of “Relative Pitch Records” – it will be released on 28, September. The album was recorded by Paul Rogers (double bass), Olaf Rupp (electric guitar, compositions) and Frank Paul Schubert (tenor saxophone). The music by these three great jazz masters is based on synthesis between the basics of avant-garde jazz, experimental music and free improvisations. Their music usually has suggestive and remarkable sound. All kinds of rhythms, sounds, expressions and timbres are used here to create exceptional and original sound. Each musician has rich, engaging, evocative and original musical language, specific and effective playing manner, talent to improvise with passion, expression and vitality. They always like to make brave, noisy, extravagant and strange musical decisions – their music is out of the bord of traditional sound of avant-garde jazz. It’s somewhere between academic avant-garde and free improvisation, which is based on the main tendencies of contemporary avant-garde and experimental jazz. Independent and individual melodies, different rhythmic elements and colorful chords are masterfully fused together and make remarkable and extraordinary sound. “Three Stories about Rain, Sunlight & The Hidden Soil” is filled with original and unique sound, bright, expressive and evocative episodes and has a rich musical language. The music is based on synthesis of main elements of avant-garde jazz, experimental music, free improvisations and academic avant-garde. Musicians masterfully fuse together innovative and modern playing techniques, extended and specific methods of instrumentation. Various scales, microtones, all kinds of rhythms, dozens of unusual timbres, strange noises and sharp chords, innovative and evocative instrumentation – all these elements contain the main base of musical langauge. It also makes a strong relation with academic avant-garde and contemporary academical music. The newest tendencies of academic avant-garde, ambient and experimental music, concrete and spectral music are gently blended together with the bright, splendid, remarkable and moving free improvisation. The music has difficult structure and abstract musical pattern. Its form is synthesized from many different forms of academical music and avant-garde jazz. Free and open forms are mixed with quadratic and strict structures, traditional forms of contemporary academical music and other elements. Even though the music is based on marvelous and astonishing synthesis between avant-garde jazz and contemporary academical music, the main base of compositions is formed by the basics of avant-garde jazz and free improvisation. Avant-garde and experimental jazz mixed with soft relations of academical music – the synthesis of this type rests the same through all album and is heard in all compositions. Musicians are marvelous improvisers – they are playing and improvising passionately, expressively and evocatively. They are dedicated to create extraordinary, strange, weird and evocative sound. Frank Paul Schubert saxophone melodies give the main tune to the sound. Engaging, evocative and bright solos are mixed with depressive, aggressive, sharp and harsh timbres, short melodic elements, repetitive rhythmic and melodic intonations, minimalistic and abstract episodes, silent pauses or sudden abruptions. These elements are just a small part of his improvisations. Saxophonist creates colorful, effective and remarkable sound by using dozens of experimental, specific and extended playing techniques, expressions and other elements of musical language. Olaf Rupp guitar melodies are based on huge variety of unusual timbres, organic and suggestive sound modifications and alterations, sharp and eclectic chords and fascinating free improvisations. Guitarist experiments in various sections of musical language – he tries out exclusive and remarkable expressions, specific playing techniques, extravagant and provocative musical decisions and sounds. Special effects, electronic music elements, gorgeous and weird timbres and other coloristic elements form solid and illustrative background. Simetimes it has depressive, harsh, abandoned and rough sound – suddenly it gets to light and smooth excerpts, roaring and rigorous energy explosions and bright, passionate and expressive solos. Paul Rogers souble bass improvisations also are based on remarkable and inventive musical decisions and experiments. Wide range of colors, timbres, sounds, expressions and other elements of musical language is created here. Dozens of extravagant, weird, strange and bright timbres, unusual sounds, special effects and other elements of background are expressed by using original and innovative instrumentation decisions. Bassist is fusing together all kinds of different musical language elements and expressions by using free improvisation as a main base, which combines together all elements of musical pattern. All the episodes and elements are fused together in the organic, bright and original way. That makes an effort to enchanting, charming, dynamic, moving and extravagant sound. The music of this album is an interesting and bright result, which joins together the basics of free improvisations, avant-garde and experimental jazz and the newest tendencies of acamic avant-garde. It makes remarkable, exclusive and expressive sound.
avantscena.wordpress.com
Un bon point pour commencer, ces trois musiciens improvisateurs initient chacun une nouvelle relation d’interaction prometteuse. Deuxième raison valable : enfin ! Il ne s’agit pas encore d’un des sempiternels trios saxophone-basse-batterie qui se suivent et se … ressemblent un peu trop. Avec la guitare multiforme chercheuse d’Olaf Rupp, la contrebasse à sept cordes de Paul Rogers a le champ libre pour ioniser le champ sonore et le saxophone soprano de Frank Paul Schubert peut éclore sa corolle lyrique sans devoir forcer son souffle, comme s’il y avait une batterie pétaradante. En sus, j’informe ou je rappelle que Paul Rogers a développé un travail intense en trio avec une formation identique en compagnie du guitariste Phil Gibbs et du saxophoniste Paul Dunmall (souvent au soprano) durant des dizaines de concerts et de sessions publiées par Duns Limited Editions et FMR, parfois avec un quatrième larron aussi allumé qu’eux. Ce trio, le Moksha Trio en fait, est une des choses les plus déraisonnables que j’ai jamais entendue – début des années 2000). Récemment, Frank Paul Schuberta enregistré trois albums avec Dunmall et culminé avec lui dans la stratosphère dans Sign of the Times(FMR chroniqué ici-même il y a peu. Il a en commun avec Dunmall une articulation mordante et une sacrée énergie. Olaf Rupp est, sans doute, le guitariste le plus apprécié à Berlin et en Allemagne. Son esthétique n’est pas toujours aisément situable car il joue acoustique avec une floraison de doigtés fascinants et sa palette à la six cordes amplifiée (avec ou sans effets) est si étendue qu’on peine parfois à le reconnaître d’un disque à l’autre. Toutefois, son étonnante précision, son sens de l’ouverture et du dosage, sa virtuosité, sa capacité d’envoyer la purée sans assourdir ses comparses en font un compagnon de choix dans des aventures diversifiées. Trois improvisations complètement libres, Rain (31 :36), Curry (17 :34), Yeast (19 :44) voient les trois improvisateurs jouer avec entrain, énergie et subtilité dévoilant au fil des secondes et des minutes de nombreuses possibilités sonores et interactives en faisant évoluer sans répit et avec une belle constance au niveau de l’écoute les dynamiques individuelles, les propositions, cadences, alternant échanges frénétiques, dissonances acides, fragilités élégiaques, vagues de timbres compressés, frictions d’accords écartelés, drones électrisées, arco multiphonique, tremblements partagés. La sonorité très spéciale des sept cordes animées par les vibrations des cordes sympathiques de la contrebasse Alain Leduc de Paul Rogers confère un air de mystère et évoque parfois une vièle du Pamir ou d’Azerbaijan ou encore un Marin Marais sous acide. F-P Schubert fait éclater sa sonorité, mordant l’air agité qui sort du tube comme une nuée de vers luisants dans la nuit. Bassiste sérieux jusqu’au bout des angles, Rogers n’hésite pas à transgresser complètement le pourquoi des choses en transformant son instrument en cithare désaxée d’une autre ère, celle des rêves éveillés. Il transmet le virus de la folie à son collègue guitariste. Olaf Rupp libère immédiatement alors l’ordonnancement des intervalles et des frettes. Celles-ci semblent alors se dilater, s’évanouir, se métamorphosant en archiluth imaginaire, le manche gondolant, les gammes élastiques, en hexaphonique impromptu. À cet instant, le souffle du soprano s’allège et s’élève diaphane dans les airs.
On nage entièrement dans l’univers ludique revendiqué par Derek Bailey. Si on conviendra peut être que cette deuxième longue improvisation recèle des longueurs, c’est le prix à payer pour parvenir à cet état de transe émotionnelle qui méduse notre perception. Une séquence unique en son genre (et qui évoque à merveille la folie du Moksha Trio précité). Plutôt qu’une réussite formelle, cette session incarne brillamment une des vertus intrinsèques de l’improvisation qui s’assume : chercher et trouver de nouveaux territoires, où une part d’inouï et de merveilleux justifie les audaces, lesquelles sont rendues possibles et opérantes par la grâce d’une compétence musicale et instrumentale jamais prise en défaut.
Jean-Michel van Schouwburg, orynx-improvandsounds