Kailash Trio

Bio:

The new release Kailash by German jazzpianist and composer Tim Sund features a trio with his New York collegues Tom Christensen (tenor saxophone, oboe, English horn, bass clarinet) and Tomas Ulrich (cello). On its first album the trio presents a fresh look at jazz and improvised music through a unique balance of composition and improvisation that erases the borders between classical music and jazz. The instrumentation with Christensen doubling on various woodwind instruments, which include instruments as rarely heard in Jazz as oboe and English horn, and Tomas Ulrich on cello give Sund in his compositions a grand palette of sound to draw upon. The Kailash Trio uses a classical trio format of piano, cello and a woodwind instrument so there is already a strong tradition that is implied by the instrumentation. However, within the field of jazz and improvised music this orchestration is unusual and sets the group immediately in uncharted territory. After recording Americana, both Sund and Christensen felt that their musical future should focus on the development of the contemporary chamber music side of their playing. The first step in achieving this meant leaving the standard rhythm section of bass and drums still used on Americana behind. It didn´t take long to realize that the cello would be the right instrument to add as it contributes an authentic string quality to the group and can switch seamlessly between a bass function, middle range accompaniment and primary melody. Siting Mstislav Rostropovich and Jimi Hendrix his main inspirations, Tomas Ulrich was the perfect choice for the cello chair. With three equally creative and innovative players in the trio, composed parts are freely interpreted, improvisation is indistinguishable from composition and ultimately the old boundaries begin to vanish. Tim Sund's connection with America began in 1993 when pianist and mentor Richie Beirach first invited him to New York as his student. While finishing his jazz studies in Cologne he was commuting to New York for piano lessons on a regular basis. In 1995 Sund moved to the Big Apple and started his masters in classical composition at the Manhattan School of Music, combining jam sessions by night with writing orchestral scores by day. Soon he had grouped violinist Gregor Huebner and saxophonist Joel Frahm round him and founded his international quintet, recording his first album for Nabel Records in 1997, …In the Midst of Change, shortly before returning to Germany. Based in Berlin, in 1999 Sund brought out his exciting adaptations of classical lieder sung by his wife Erika Rojo with jazz ensemble: Erika Rojo & Tim Sund – Das Lied. For his third project for Nabel, Sund regrouped his quintet, recording in 1999 The Rains from a Cloud do not Wet the Sky. Since Frahm was unable to join the subsequent Germany tour in October 2000, he sent his former teacher, Tom Christensen, over instead. Tom Christensen has long been well-established on the New York scene, playing regularly with the Toshiko Akiyoshi Jazz Orchestra and recording with Joe Lovano, Paquito D'Rivera and David Sanchez. As demonstrated on his albums Paths and Gualala for Naxos Jazz, the multi-instrumentalist Christensen was able to provide another dimension to Sund's music. In addition to tenor and soprano saxophones, he also plays oboe, English horn, flute, alto flute, clarinet and bass clarinet. The combination of Christensen's almost limitless palette of sounds and Sund's orchestral approach to small band jazz scoring proved to be a winning one. The association had been established and both went their separate ways…for the meantime at least. At the start of 2002 Christensen invited Sund over to New York to perform with him in a series of concerts, each agreeing to bring one of his regular sidesmen. Christensen engaged the accomplished bassist Ben Allison and Sund brought drummer Michael Kersting. The New York rendezvous therefore was an unmissable recording opportunity: a week after their main concert the quartet went into the studio and the album Americana was born. For the next incarnation of the Sund/Christensen-Project the two decided to focus on the more chamber music and classical side of their music, which already glimpsed through on Americana several times. The choice was using the cello instead of double bass and no drums at all. And with the great cellist Tomas Ulrich they found the perfect man for such enterprise. Tomas Ulrich received music degrees from Boston University and Manhattan School of Music. In addition to the traditional classical repertoire, his work clearly demonstrates the influence of such diverse composers and musicians as Frank Zappa, Jimi Hendrix, Neil Young, Miles Davis, Eric Dolphy, Dmitri Shostakovich and Olivier Messiaen. Ulrich has performed and recorded with such artists as Anthony Davis, Joe Lovano, Gerry Hemingway, Derek Bailey, Anthony Braxton, Uri Caine, Dave Douglas, Perry Robinson, Mark Feldman and Ivo Perelman. He is also a member of the Diller-Quaile String Quartet. Jazz Now has characterized him as "the total package...incredible chops, great imagination, and superb pitch. He fulfills the roles of bassist, guitarist and additional horn player and is endlessly talented and creative." ..   I edited my profile with Thomas Myspace Editor V4.4 (www.strikefile.com/myspace)

Member Since:

January 16, 2008

Members:

TOM CHRISTENSEN - tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone, oboe, english horn, alto flue & bass clarinet TIM SUND - piano, compositions TOMAS ULRICH - cello

Influences:

John Coltrane, Béla Bartók, Miles Davis, Jimmi Hendrix, Chick Corea, Bach, Björk, Igor Stravinsky, Alban Berg, Richie Beirach, David Liebman, Mstlav Rostropovich, Steve Reich, Oregon, Lyle Mays, Pat Metheny, Astor Piazolla, Morton Feldman and Paul Bley.

Sounds Like:

“Kailash,” the holy mountain of the Hindus, is an album that doesn´t know about the troubles in the valley: the music dances cleverly through refined structures, escaping the trap of intellectual heaviness – that might emerge quite easliy when working under such influences as Bartók and Stravinsky – by sounding so light and comprehensible. So do the improvised miniatures, where the musicians react to spontaneously given titles, as well as the title track, which captures the listener by its imposing simplicity. With “Kailash” Tim Sund and his musical partners succeeded in creating an album that combines refreshing accessibility with the thrill of intellectual risk. Rolf Thomas, Jazzthetik Feb 2008 ------------------------ With discipline, with finesse and considerable claim Berlin pianist Tim Sund has played himself away from the bare categorization as talent. That the 36-year old is a composer as well is crucial. What is often used as an alibi for the exchangeable, the positioning inbetween Jazz and Classic, is for Sund of principal importance. That´s why he gives up bass and drums in the trio for cello and reeds. Crystal-clear chamber music, that is even “oregoning“, “garbareking“ and “dolphying.“ It´s bright, varied, well-nuanced, tamed, sparkling, colorful... Leipziger Volkszeitung, February 22, 2008 ---------------------------- "Kailash" finds cellist Tomas Ulrich in the company of pianst/leader Tim Sund and multi-reedist Tom Christensen. The eleven song story cycle focuses mostly on classically-influenced terrains that favor tightly-written charts with some room for improvisation. While often soft-hued, cinematic works, the emotional content is still high and the challenge remains. For instance, the oboe-centric dance of “gorissimo“ is dramatically playful but easy on the ears, as is the sprightly Corea-like Tango, “A Midsummernight´s Tango,“ the wistful balladry of “Kailash“ that is darkened by Ulrich´s moodiness or the soaring fight of “Passagio,“ with the lovely English horn work here from Christensen and a rich lyricism from Sund. As for more spirited material, the record´s opener “Béla´s Door“ is a modal romp with Ulrich and Christensen, on tenor, demonstrating the ability to easily navigate a difficult piece, while the trio is simply moving on the the inspired undulations of “A Proud Round Cloud.“ Jay Collins, Signal to Noise 49, 2008

Record Label:

Nabel