Miniatures by Eva Klesse Quartett

Exactly two years ago, the Eva Klesse Quartet released their second album Obenland, establishing its status on the European jazz scene. Excellent reviews followed, as well as invitations to festivals and international concert tours, which took the band to Asia and Central and South America. JazzThing described Obenland as “wild, romantic, elegiac and tantalising,” while the Weser Kurier picked up on the band’s “impressively precise interaction”. The FAZ wrote: “The pieces develop fluently, and typical boundaries between composition and improvisation blur imperceptibly. The Eva Klesse Quartet’s jazz is rich in interesting melodies and harmonies, attracting different kinds of listeners, yet is far removed from the mainstream.”

And now begins the third chapter in this artistic success story: miniature - ten songs for chamber jazz quartet. The title of the new album indicates the band’s aesthetic direction this time. While Obenland captivated the listener with its extended tracks and featured sweeping dynamics and wide arcs, the new album is more intimate and reduced. What has not changed, however, is the impelling interaction of different approaches to playing and the members’ different characters, which add significantly to the quartet’s appeal. The fellow performers attentively listen and give space to each other while showing a keen intuition for storytelling without words.
“The music on the album is more condensed and our improvisations are more interleaved with the compositions,” pianist Philip Frischkorn says. Eva Klesse continues: “This time our idea was to paint more concrete pictures. It was about being able to allow minimalism and peace.” The listener could and should read this as a commentary on social norms that give those with the loudest voice and whose rage goes unchecked the upper hand. Nevertheless, the band is primarily interested in an artistic statement. Ultimately, jazz musicians do not always find it easy to allow minimalism. Philip Frischkorn, who has always leaned towards classicism and classical modernism, has set new parameters which he himself moves within. “This autumn I’ve been experimenting with deciding on the tonal material first before I start composing. Within strict limits, I wanted to look for opportunities of improvisational freedom. As an improviser you don’t break the boundaries: you gently convert them.” It is no wonder that Frischkorn’s individual scales sound livelier and much less strict than historical concepts of reduction, such as serial or twelve-tone music.

The characteristic sound of the Eva Klesse Quartet on miniatures is more detailed and transparent than ever. Many subtleties of chamber music, clear or cleverly forking compositions and balanced improvisations make 50 minutes pass quickly. Conceptual ideas and the resulting focus show the ensemble’s convincing artistic development. The band’s depth of expression produces a musical narrative that can confidently exist in an international environment. Such music will delight not only long-time followers of jazz, but also recruit new aficionados in the future.

Evgeny Ring - Sax,
Philip Frischkorn - Piano,
Marc Muellbauer - Bass,
Eva Klesse - Drums

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