Kugel ( Klaus )

The Charles Gayle Trio | Forgiveness | Not Two Records

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Charles Gayle – almost 70-year-old legend of free jazz. He spent almost 20 years playing on the streets of New York City. Gayle begun his professional career in mid 80s performing in clubs (e.g. Knitting Factory) and recording albums (the most important once for Silkheart, FMP, Thirsty Ear and Clean Feed). He cooperated with free jazz giants: William Parker, Rashid Ali and Chad Taylor among others. This new album was recorded at Jazzga Club Continue reading →

Steve Swell | Rivers Of Sound Ensemble…….News From the Mystic Auricle | Not Two Records

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Steve Swell’s third release on the Polish NotTwo label moves the trombonist into new, though not entirely unfamiliar territory. On this occasion, his regular Slammin’ the Infinite band has expanded with the addition of trumpeter Roy Campbell to become the Rivers of Sound Ensemble. Hilliard Greene, who plays in Swell’s quartet with Gebhard Ullmann, takes over the bass chair from Matt Heyner, with drummer Klaus Kugel and reed maestro Sabir Mateen as holdovers. More significant though is Swell’s dispensation with composition for the three 20+ minute pieces presented here, each sporting group credits suggesting a collective genesis. That’s not to imply that this is merely a set of free jazz blowouts, though there are some cathartic moments to be sure. What’s striking is the restraint on show and the spontaneously conceived arrangements, which conjure a different setting for each horn soloist: evidence of the protagonist’s years of hard won experience on the New York free jazz scene. — John Sharpe, All About Jazz Continue reading →

Ganelin Trio Priority | Live in Lugano | Not Two Records

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Ganelin, Vysniauskas and Kugel are more than just plain avant-gardists that break up all connections behind them just to pay tribute to some future aesthetic. They make use of the method of American jazz in order to listen deeply into the European musical tradition. That way, they shed light on great gestures of baroque music, they internalize the painful individualism of Romanticism and recapitulate the careless lightness of traditional folk music. It is no less than trans-European, inter-traditional and multi-sensual improvised music. What was said above about their rich musical supply is also true without exception for the pianists new formation. With Vysniauskas and Kugel, Ganelin may be less missionary and pugnacious as in the 70´s. But in an age of euphemisms where all fronts have been veiled or dissolved, precisely translatable statements make sense only for the most ardent of idealists. Today´s Ganelin Trio draws from the variety of life an even greater amount of options and perspectives. By not submitting to the worn out primacy of the moment but instead implicating the freedom of the whole process in every moment of their play the new Ganelin Trio is without comparison in European music. — Wolf Kampmann, Berlin, 2006 Continue reading →

Yaremchuk | Tokar | Kugel | Yatoku | Not Two Records

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A human being is part of a whole, called by us the Universe, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings, as something separated from the rest – a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circles of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty. — Albert Einstein (1879 – 1955) Continue reading →

Steve Swell | Live at the Vision Festival | Not Two Records

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The opening set of Saturday evening was a killer.Steve Swell’s Slammin’ the Infinite, a working unit now for some two and a half years, hit the Vision Festival fresh from a European tour. This is just one of a number of regular projects for the increasingly visible Swell, but perhaps the one which showcases his writing, organisation and virtuosity to best effect. For this performance special guest John Blum was added on piano. Slum is one of the hitherto overlooked horde of musicians in NYC….but on this showing, wider exposure will surely not be long in coming.” — John Sharpe All About Jazz Continue reading →

Steve Swell | Remember Now | Not Two Records

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Remember Now is the second release of trombonist’s Steve Swell Slammin’ The Infinite band, and they now sound more like a unit. Rather than two front line soloists with a rhythm section, on this release they seem like a group of four equals. The rhythm section of Matthew Heyner (who is amazing on this disc) and Klaus Kugel (ditto) has really developed into a team that is just as able to step out in front and lead the band as to drive it along from behind. And the material Swell has written takes full advantage of this. The opening track “Antlers” is a good example. Those who think this group as merely an energy blowing band may be surprised by this track. The horns play written material throughout, a series of off kilter phrases that form a springboard for the rhythm section and a feature for Heyner. His arco bass work on this track shows that he’s the heir apparent to Alan Silva, with careening lines flowing effortlessly off his bow. Elsewhere Swell scores out fiery phrases for the horns. MB-1 (for Marion Brown) has the horns stating the theme, jabbing out staccato phrases.– Robert Iannapollo, All About Jazz) Continue reading →

James Finn | Deanna Witkowski | Leon Lee Dorsey | Klaus Kugel | Great Spirit | Not Two Records

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Much has been written and expounded regarding Finn’s obvious ties to John Coltrane. Critic Dan Warburton connects the familiar dots once again in his sagaciously boiled down liner notes. But Finn’s kinship with the Heavy Weight Champion is more conceptual than concrete. His passionate exhortations often scale similar ecstatic summits, pitch narrowing to pin point-precise altissimo peals. But, as this album and the rest of his consistently rewarding and ever-expanding back catalog prove, he is most certainly his own man on the horn. — Derek Taylor Continue reading →