IMAGINARY REALM by Javier Vercher & Ferenc Nemeth

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IMPROVIJAZZATION NATION magazine

Javier Vercher and Ferenc Nemeth – IMAGINARY REALM: Javier’s tenor sax and Ferenc’s drums (along with a guest piano shot from David Kikoski on selected tracks) explores territory I’m before in my own musical meanderings. Their excursions together are totally focused, with no errors in the recording or in their intent… just listen to the intriguing “Poets Of The East” to get a taste of the mystery they weave for your ears! Of the eleven sonic wonderments they’ve painted for you, I found the energy on “Giant Henge” to be the most satisfying, and my favorite of all the tracks – a lot of that had to do with David’s driving keyboards, too, I believe. I give this splendid jazz duo a MOST HIGHLY RECOMMENDED, with an “EQ” (energy quotient) rating of 4.98.

Rotcod Zzaj

A highly moody atmospheric CD, Imaginary Realm by saxist/percussionist Javier Vercher and drummer/percussionist Ferenc Nemeth harks back to when ECM Records was making its mark in austere chamber jazz that blended free music with neoclassical airs and the sort of hybridizations the band Oregon was pulling off to highly refined but spectacular effect. Pianist David Kikoski appears on 5 of the 11 cuts and only beefs up the duet’s wont, especially in the title track. This disc features work that transcends thinking, stepping over into mystery and expansions, the far side-roads of the everyday verging into Rousseauvian jungles and arid plains, conversing with the spirits and essences residing there.

Imaginary Realm
Javier Vercher / Ferenc Nemeth
Dreamers Collective Records – DCR 1003

Available from CD Baby.

A review written for the Folk & Acoustic Music Exchange
by Mark S. Tucker

I guess you could call this free jazz, though it’s highly aesthetically disciplined (as the best free musics are) and several songs arose just from the coining of a title, intuitively exploring what was tucked away in the words and their evocations. Do not play this at a party unless you want your guests sitting down to discuss philosophy for the rest of the evening (which, frankly, is EXACTLY what I’d do) because, though one cut is romantic (Come Sunday, and I guess you could see Circles in the Sky as partially so, especially if you’ve been downing Jagermeisters and feeling sideways and upside-down), the rest are art with a capital ‘A’ and not meant for mall shopping excursions, though, heh!, I sure as hell would love to see how people would react should music like this suddenly waft over the speaker systems in those vapid soulless places.It’s difficult to draw comparatives here. I’m minded of Jay Zelenka (perc.) and Greg Mills’ (piano) old Exiles band and also of Steve Tibbetts (guitar)and Marc Anderson (perc.), but only because those units also paired up so well and produced largely uncategorizable musics. Here, all three gents go wild on Giant Henge, Nemeth putting in a really impressive performance, but no matter what the mood—pensive, zoned-out, wandering, or nailing down a single thought—the sounds can’t help but capture attention, whether through seduction, an outright lunge for the frontal lobes, or a professorial art tour, and that sort of creativity comes around all too infrequently. You’ll be just as drawn to Javier’s design and photographic work as well: the b&w cover photo is worthy of museum display and the interior double-spread provides as much material for speculation and analysis as a poem. That guy and his partner knew precisely what they were doing in every aspect of this release.

el disco IMAGINARY REALM suena en NPR, MORNING EDITION…!!!
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FERENC NEMETH and JAVIER VERCHER’s “GIANT HENGE” is featured on NPR’s Morning Edition on 10-9-2013, from the album Imaginary Realm.NPR, formalmente National Public Radio, es una organización de medios con financiación pública y privada que funciona como una redifusión nacional para una red de 900 estaciones de radio pública en los Estados Unidos.

Otros reseñas sobre IMAGINARY REALM…

Ferenc Nemeth-Javier Vercher: “Imaginary Realm”

Hungarian-born drummer Ferenc Nemeth and Spanish-born saxophonist Javier Vercher will be celebrating the release of their new duo CD, Imaginary Realm (Dreamer’s Collective Records), this Saturday, October 26th, at The Jazz Gallery. The duo has collaborated previously, having released their first co-led record, Wheel of Time (Fresh Sound), in 2007, while also simultaneously pursuing various other projects.Ferenc has released two albums as a leader for Dreamer’s Collective Records, Night Sounds in 2007 and Triumph in 2012, and he has worked as a sideman for artists as varied as Lionel Loueke, Omer Avital, and Hiromi. Javier, who originally studied classical clarinet in Valencia before exploring the world of jazz, has collaborated with musicians like Robert Glasper and Bob Moses, among others, and his latest record as a leader is Wish You Were Here (2011), which features Lionel Loueke, Sam Yahel, Larry Grenadier, and Francisco Mela. This Saturday, the duo will be joined by an as-yet-unannounced pianist and special guest Lionel Loueke on drums. We hope that you’ll join us to celebrate the release of Ferenc and Javier’s latest collaboration.Drummer Ferenc Nemeth and saxophonist Javier Vercher perform music from their new CD, “Imaginary Realm,” with a pianist (to-be-announced) plus special guest Lionel Loueke on guitar and vocals, this Saturday, October 26th, at The Jazz Gallery. Sets are at 9 and 10:30 p.m., $20 general admission and $10 for Members. Purchase tickets here.

Javier Vercher and Ferenc Nemeth – Imaginary Realm (2013)
by S. Victor Aaron

It’s exactly the kind of music you’d expect from a talented musician after a healthy bout of introspection.

Tenor saxophonist Javier Vercher left the epicenter of jazz a couple of years ago, disembarking from NYC to resettle into Valencia, Spain, where he grew up. The time away from the hustle and bustle gave him the space to get more focused on his music and other aspects of his life. When he was ready to put his new perspective to song, he called up his erstwhile partner and master percussionist Ferenc Nemeth to make the record together, their second (the first being Wheel of Time, 2007).

Imaginary Realm is an inner journey, not so much about scales and modes but self-examination and mood. Thusly, songs aren’t necessarily jazz in structure but draws from jazz where there is instead a need to break from the constrictions of structure. “Silent Stones” is a brief, meditative intro, where the beautiful, mystical timbres emanating from Nemeth’s array of percussion seem dictated by the wind; Vercher plays with minimal notes and maximum feel.

“Poets of the East” features Vercher dubbing saxes for low harmony, as the primary sax is in a lead role playing in a style evocative of Jan Garbarek; meanwhile Nemeth is gently playing a swaying groove. Nemeth’s best moment might be “Circles In The Sky,” where his calypso styled percussion is hypnotic and multi layered but also controlled; Nemeth never has to be particularly loud or fast to greatly enrich the tonality the rhythm of a song. The short piece “Sumerian Magic Spell” features Vercher on a wooden African box, an instrument very similar-sounding to a kalimba.

The appearance of David Kikoski’s piano on four of the selections adds another dimension; less sparse, more formal, more developed but remaining jagged and in-the-moment. “Imaginary Realm” presents a romantic melody, moving at a naturally occurring pace. Kikoski is forceful yet delicate, and Vercher is sometimes on edge, doleful but never overdoing it. They combine again for “Form and Meaning,” playing a romantic style over an esoteric strain. Nemeth is sensitively playing to the other two, and Vercher is both emotional and angular like Wayne Shorter. “Giant Henge” is the most festive and conventional sounding song of the batch, boasting a Brazilian groove. Vercher’s sax here shows a rougher side, a la Joe Henderson.

Two versions of “Prana” is played, the first time performed in a very hushed manner with Vercher playing a sax in the left channel and overdubbing another one in the right channel, as Nemeth can be heard off at a distance with his muted brushes and cymbals. The second version includes Kikoski, who reveals more to the gorgeous melody. Nemeth meanwhile is accentuating it with small but meaningful gestures like Paul Motian.

From the sounds coming from Imaginary Realm , it appears that the time Javier Vercher spent away from New York has been time well spent. For that matter, so is any time he spends pairing up with Ferenc Nemeth.

Imaginary Realm is slated for release October 22, by Dreamers Collective Records.

MIDWEST RECORD
Volume 37/Number 341
CHRIS SPECTOR, Editor and Publisher
Copyright 2013 Midwest Record

DREAMERS COLLECTIVE RECORDS
JAVIER VERCHER-FERENC NEMETH/Imaginary Realm: Stop me if you’ve heard this one. Two guys from across the pond migrate to America to study at Berklee and live in Brooklyn. Recombining when they go back to their home lands, they come out with a set of deep 50s jazz mostly with just sax and drums, seasoned by a smidge of piano along the way. Viola! A nice set of 50s opium jazz. Thankfully, they didn’t feel the need to have some free verse spouting jerk layered over the proceedings. You’ve got to play this for your fave jazz egghead while it’s still new. The hipper than thou will battle the jazz police mightily on this one and you can enjoy it sitting on the sidelines watching the skirmish with some tea in hand. Wink.
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Javier Vercher and Ferenc Nemeth-Imaginary Realm
Posted by Mason Kilpatrick on Thursday, October 10, 2013 · Leave a Comment

Jazz rotation
So spiritual, you will probably convert to something after listening to this

Javier Vercher and Ferenc Nemeth collaborate again after their much acclaimed ‘Wheel of Time.’ They team up to create a spiritual sound motivated by occurance so of Javier jamming out to an african wood box. Self-titled ‘Imaginary Realm’ is a seven minute track to your soul. ‘Form and Meaning,’ carried by Javier’s killer tenor sax okay, will give your life a form and a meaning. ‘Drums’ is a short track that really displays Ferenc Nemeth’s talents on the…well, drums. The african wooden box is best utilized on ‘Circles in the Sky,’ along with Nemeth’s killer percussion ability.

Review Date: October 7, 2013

Reviewed by: Mason Kilpatrick

Imaginary Realm by Javier Vercher and Ferenc Nemeth
Susan Frances, Yahoo Contributor Network
Sound patterns display properties of eclecticism, malleability, and dissonant rambling as they are sprawled along Imaginary Realm from saxophonist Javier Vercher and drummer Ferenc Nemeth with David Kikoski on piano. The recording is a sample of experimental ruminations that reflect the impulses and images in the minds of the musicians. Abstract soudscapes and subliminal harmonic forms wield organic fluctuations creating variations in the intonations and rhythmic meter of the saxophone, drums and keys.

The exotic phrasing and blurbs of sonic chimes showing degrees of clarion and muffled tones in tracks like “Silent Stones” and “Poets of the East” display a primitive chanting that audiences will relate to music emblematic of tribal cultures. There is something entrancing about the sound patterns which move at the will of subliminal impulses generating waves of quavering percussive beats layered in the mellow timbre of the saxophone and the meditative vibe of the keys.

The trio oscillates between creating dissonant musings and melodic chord progressions throughout the album. The rhythmic swells of the keys in the title track produce a succession of lyrical undulations pierced by the toggling movements of the saxophone nestled along the channels of hypnotic grooves. The trio explores more variations in their combination as the rambling phrasing of the keys in “Form and Meaning” is stacked in clusters of nomadic notes from the saxophone sculpting a swathe of wandering pathways.

Small incisions made by the saxophone pierce the rustling percussions in “Prana” constructing a mist of tranquil ethers while the ruffles of abstract drum effects which spontaneously manifest along “Circles in the Sky” pepper the track in ghostly echoes scaffolding the mournful tone of the meandering saxophone. “Prana” is revisited at the ending of the album showing variations in the keys producing a contemplative atmosphere ringed in gorgeous harmonic forms and melodic riffs.

The trio demonstrates a jubilant bonding in “Giant Henge” as Latin-tinge beats are layered in vibrating keys and the uplifting poses of the saxophone. The track is inspired by the mysterious structure of Stonehenge outside of Bath, England as the trio acts as a conduit envisioning an otherworldly force making its mark on earth. Moving on, “Sumerian Magic Spell” is a sedate piece encased in the mellow sonorous of various percussive beats branded with an African accent.

Streaked in variations of eclectic and melodic sound patterns and waves of dissonant and lyrical harmonic forms, Imaginary Realm is an expression of the trio’s imagination and impassioned natures. The unbridled flow of their instruments has an organic phrasing that’s fluent in the language of experimental arrangements and fraught with abstract patterns. Schooled in classical repertoires, the trio exhibits an eagerness to experiment in ruminations that show traits of spontaneity and unbridled wandering.

Musicians:

Javier Vercher – tenor saxophone, Ferenc Nemeth – drums, and David Kiosk – piano

Tracklisting:

Silent Stones, Imaginary Realm, Poets of the East, Form and Meaning, Drums, Paraná, Circles in the Sky, Sumerian Magic Spell, Giant Hinge, Prana (Revisited)

JAVIER VERCHER (1978) BIOGRAPHY by MICHAEL HILL

Tenor saxophonist Javier Vercher, is a pure-hearted jazz man, whose approach embraces both the avant-garde and the old school. His gradually unfolding soundscapes also have an emotional gravity to them and, at times, a palpable sense of the spiritual. Each is a wordless narrative; the starting point is often real life.

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