Album Review
Grosse Abfahrt – “Luftschifffeiertagserinnerungfotoalbum” – [Setola Di Maiale]
Louie Caliente 5/17/2017 CD, Jazz
Grosse Abfahrt is a project started by Gino Robair to explore improvisation with large groups or musicians. The core of the group consists of Robair, John Shiurba, Matt Ingalls, Tim Perkis, and Tom Djll. On this album (whos title means something like “airship holiday souvenir photo album”) they are joined by Frank Gratkowski, Kjell Nordeson, Liza Mezzacappa, Phillip Greenlief, and John Bisschoff. The session was recorded at Mills College in 2009.
Given the nature of the group, and the wide variety of instrumentation (all kinds of wind, string, percussion, electronics…) I expected something pretty frenzied and cacophonous, but it’s actually quite subtle and delicate. The artists spend most of their time listening, and slowly build intricately layered soundscapes that breath and flow.
The album starts off sparse and droney, and slowly picks up some speed as it progresses. Tracks 5 and 6 sound are more energetic and skittery (although still short of cacophonous) than the others, as if the group took a quick espresso break before recording them. There is a brief frenzied climax on track 6 that really hit the spot, and then track 7 slowly unwinds, bringing us back to the vast, wide open spaces that characterize the first few tracks.
you heard it 20 times on kfjc! most recently:
- 2122 days ago, Naysayer played Warum Stromlinienform?
- 2160 days ago, mouthbreather played Luftkrafte Im Windkanal
- 2165 days ago, Jersey Girl played Bleichmittelzusammensetzungen
- 2180 days ago, Mance played Wanderdune
- 2183 days ago, Mitch LeMay played Luftkrafte Im Windkanal
12345 S. El Monte Road Los Altos Hills, California 94022
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Tom Djll says
Actually Grosse Abfahrt was officially launched by me. There were a variety of gigs and sessions that preceded the official launch, like "SIX FUCHS," which Gino did. The first Grosse Abfahrt show was recorded in 2004 and put out as "Erstes Luftschiff zu Kalifornien" on Creative Sources records.
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