Vortex, London
Pianist and composer Alex von Schlippenbach is one of the most influential of a postwar generation of German jazz musicians who revived the music after years of Nazi banishment. After a classical education in the 50s, Schlippenbach launched the pioneering Globe Unity Orchestra, and in 1970 formed an improv trio with his compatriot Paul Lovens on drums and British saxophonist Evan Parker. Now, the Schlippenbach Trio is celebrating its 40th birthday with the only preparation it knows how ? just start playing and see what happens.
On their second night at the Vortex, the group began in a typical toe-in-the-water improv manner, with Schlippenbach's softly struck notes drawing lightly hissing cymbal patterns from Lovens, while Parker pondered his moment to enter. But soon Parker's short-burst tenor-sax phrasing was accelerating over the pianist's truculently stabbed chords. When the tumult ebbed, Parker blew delicately squeezed and breathy sounds, heated them up for another roaring exchange with Lovens, and then edged his way into a loosely-sketched Thelonius Monk theme.
The soundscape constantly changed. Schlippenbach made piano-tuning noises against ringing, finger-cymbal shimmers, then unleashed a boogie-like pattern for Lovens's free-swing. A now-you-hear-it-now-you-don't approach to Monk opened the second half, and Schlippenbach introduced prepared-piano clatterings under a single sustained sax note that passed slowly through rich tone changes. For long stretches, the band sounded as exhilaratingly swinging and melodic as a conventional postbop group, without directly quoting from any of that style's material. Thelonious Monk would have loved it.
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