SYLVIE COURVOISIER — Double Windsor (review)

SYLVIE COURVOISIER — Double Windsor album cover Album · 2014 · Avant-Garde Jazz Buy this album from MMA partners
4/5 ·
snobb
Swiss pianist and composer Sylvie Courvoisier on her newest release on Tzadik presents almost perfect balance of two worlds - her chamber European roots and groovy New York down town jazz scene.Living in Brooklyn for more than 15 years she became important part of American modern avant-garde playing with Tim Berne, Ikue Mori,Susie Ibarra and John Zorn (being a member of his Cobra) among others.At the same time her music is often well-composed with attention to details and obviously influenced by European classical tradition.

John Zorn's Tzadik have been a revolutionary label in early 90s and its influence is obvious not only for New York avant-garde jazz scene but for contemporary creative music in whole as well. Being really prolific Tzadik is still important player on alternative music market but very often its releases are quite predictable what is not strange at all: it's almost impossible to be still very fresh after a quoter of century activities dealing with some leading artists of their generation. Fortunately for label's fans it still produces time to time music of above standard level. Sylvie Courvoisier's "Double Windsor" is one of such albums, one among few more released this year.

Even if trio format isn't very unusual for Sylvie, her current classic piano trio with double bassist(great Drew Gress) and drummer (Tzadik veteran Kenny Wollesen) is her first time (her trio with electronics wizard Ikue Mori and drummer Suzie Ibarra was far different thing). Groovy and even muscular rhythm section has fantastic chemistry inside and with Sylvie as well - result music varies from chamber songs to Latin-influenced tango/flamenco pieces to percussive Cecil Taylor-like piano miniatures to inspired post-bop but in any single moment main value here is almost impossible balance between melody,pushing ahead groove and compositional perfection with attention to smallest detail. Songs all are of different tempos,all with nice melodies and classic-like deep dramatic scenario,but differently from many similar recordings (partially ECM artists) rhythm section supplies extremely American vibes. It works like blood injection into perfectly executed (and often knotted) compositional body.

The album in whole sounds very modern but at the same time somehow reminds "golden era" releases - each song on it is different,perfectly executed but sounds fresh at the same time and radiates more life than steroidal energy we quite often hear from some non-conformist music. Clever thing can be beautiful.

Doesn't matter if this album is released last summer - it's great music for winter eves if you still aren't familiar,give it a try and I expect you will stay pleasantly surprised.
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