A chance to spend several days in the gorgeous Chamber Music Hall of the Deutschlandfunk Cologne, recording your music, is surely a coveted opportunity for any musician. No wonder I was elated to receive such an invitation from the radio producer Thomas Loewner. Pondering the question of how exactly I would like to use the time in the studio, I decided to write a series of pieces for three ensembles, keeping the same rhythm group throughout, adding the rest as my writing progressed. The resulting eight pieces do not comprise a suite with any common thread, at least thematically, but rather a set of loose compositions, each employing their own logic and strategy for musical storytelling. At the same time, there were some general considerations with regards to choosing instrumentation and how to deploy them. 

The first constellation, a quintet heard on tracks 1, 2 and 5, is of a purely jazz variety, with Pascal Klewer (trumpet) and Shannon Barnett (trombone) forming the frontline. Opener ‘Agree To Disagree’ sports a bouncy dispute between the horns, a middle section with live electronics, devoid of pulse, followed by the return of the initial theme, this time in “agreement”. ‘Almost There’, meanwhile, is a two-part counterpoint with slight rhythmic deviations, followed by the pursuit of tonal and motivic unity, never quite resolved. ‘Nervous Ticks’ reflects on the plight of political opponents in the USSR, who were often placed in mental institutions and pumped full of drugs, rendering them lethargic and “harmless”. The second ensemble, a sextet, is heard on tracks 4, 6 and 7, and complements Klewer’s trumpet with Axel Porath (viola) and Nathan Bontrager (cello). These two musicians have been a part of my recent projects and bands, allowing me to incorporate chamber music elements within both the written and improvised parts of compositions. 

‘Microdosing’ makes use of Morse-like phrases, propagating microtonally and interlaced with additional collective intricacies, while ‘Trickle Down’ is a sprawling ballad adorned with soaring trumpet and carried by the ensemble’s deft reinterpretations of the written text. This ensemble’s final contribution, ‘Smooth Sailing’, depicts my delight, and occasional fear, of sailing upon large and sometimes choppy lakes outside of Moscow. The third troupe, another sextet, performs on tracks 3 and 8, and in addition to viola include Angelika Niescier (alto saxophone) and Leonhard Huhn (clarinet). Both ‘Lullaby’ and ‘Waves Of Content’ exude melancholy hues, enhanced by the doleful sound of clarinet, the instrument I first fell in love with years ago, working with Tony Scott and Perry Robinson. 

Underpinning, supporting and propelling the music is the formidable tandem of Roger Kintopf (bass) and Alex Parzhuber (drums). Their understanding of my musical intentions was essential to the realisation of this project. I can only hope that listeners will share in our collective pleasure of the days spent submerged in stimulating atmosphere, bountiful sounds and engrossing musical tales.