Gerry Hemingway
Live at Bau 4
FormatCDLabelHat Hut RecordsGenreJazz & Improvisation
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Gerry Hemingway Live At Bau 4 features a profound collaboration among Gerry Hemingway, Izumi Kimura, Frank Gratkowski, and Christian Weber, creating a vibrant interplay of rhythms and melodies. Recorded live at Bau 4 in Altbüron, Switzerland, where Hemingway has lived since 2009, the album opens with “Slivers,” a 20-minute exercise in sound that resembles a kaleidoscopic landscape of textures and colors. This piece pays tribute to Bau 4's founders, Hildegard and Walter Schaer, celebrating their contributions to the creative music scene before the venue's closure in 2025. Hemingway incorporates sounds from the location itself, such as wood scraps, adding a unique auditory dimension that connects the music with its environment.
He chooses musicians with whom he has a long history, including Frank Gratkowski on reeds, Christian Weber on bass, and Izumi Kimura on piano. Their chemistry shines as they utilize extended techniques—key clicks, multiphonics, and prepared piano—creating a distinctive sound. The performance weaves between composed sections and improvisational passages, allowing for a rich musical dialogue.
A notable moment is “Third Story Variation,” where Hemingway engages in a delicate duo with Kimura, serving as a bridge between the expansive "Slivers" and the quartet piece "Bau 4 Assembly." Their musical language merges structured forms and spontaneous ideas, with melodic fragments and syncopated piano motifs enhancing the piece's dynamic quality. "Bau 4 Assembly" reveals a compressed narrative of tonal modules interspersed with improvisational spaces, showcasing the depth of Hemingway's compositional style. Techniques like singing through metal objects create floating tones and microtonal expansions, guiding listeners into an organic musical universe. Overall, Gerry Hemingway’s Live At Bau 4 is a rich tapestry of sound, blending personal histories with innovative approaches, creating a resonant tribute to a cherished venue.
