TOM CHRISTENSEN TENOR & SOPRANO SAXOPHONES, ENGLISH HORN, ALTO FLUTE,
BASS CLARINET
TIM SUND PIANO
BEN ALLISON BASS
MICHAEL KERSTING DRUMS

Produced by Rainer Wiedensohler, Tim Sund and Tom Christensen for Nabel.

AMERICANA 9:35
NEW CHANCES 8:22
THE WATCHER & THE MOON 4:39
AKIRE 7:12
VASHKAR 8:39
PIT JAZZ 8:48
NOZOMI (THE SECRET GARDEN) 11:25
THE COSMIC LAWN 7:44

Total Time: 66:27

All Compositions by Tim Sund except Vashkar by Carla Bley,
Pit Jazz by Tom Christensen and The Cosmic Lawn by Christensen/Sund/Allison /Kersting.

Americana is dedicated to Deanna Simon.
Akire is dedicated to my wife.
Nozomi (The Secret Garden) is dedicated in memorian to Toru Takemitsu (1930 -1996).

Recorded May 4 & 5, 2002 by Katherine Miller at The Studio, NYC.
Assisted by Eiji Takasugi.
Mixed & Mastered November 2002 by Matthias Reusch at Bauer Studios, Ludwigsburg.

Produced by Rainer Wiedensohler,Tim Sund and Tom Christensen for Nabel.

Cover Design: Ivana Kersting
Photography: Mark Brown
Cover Painting by Karsten Sund

Special Thanks to:
- Rainer Wiedensohler, Fieldston School, Swami Ramananda & the IYI Family, Daniel Olson, Mark Brown, Nancy Christensen, Erika Rojo de Sund, Richie Beirach, Matthias Reusch, Eva Bauer-Oppelland.

Deepest gratitude again to Sri Swami Satchidananda for his guidance and continual inspiration.

AMERICANA
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, ŠIn 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. 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 waysŠfor the meantime at least.

The following year saw the recording of Sund's first trio album Trialogue with bassist Martin Lillich and drummer Michael Kersting, both of whom are prominent on the German jazz scene. 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 Kersting. A prolific composer, Allison is the founder of the Jazz Composers Collective, which through its concert promotion and workshop activities has become a mainstay of New York's musical life. His latest album Peace Pipe for Palmetto Records was pronounced one of the best recordings of 2002 by The New York Times. Since 1980 Kersting has played with many world-class musicians, becoming the regular drummer for many North American front-liners on their tours through Germany. Among others, he has accompanied Jaco Pastorius, Kenny Wheeler and Arthur Blythe.

The New York rendezvous therefore was an unmissable recording opportunity for Nabel's producer, Rainer Wiedensohler: a week after their main concert the quartet went into the studio and Americana was born.

Americana
The title piece begins with a striking piano motif and already Sund's "Americana" start to show themselves. Reminiscent of Lyle Mays (best known for his work with Pat Metheny), this opening piano figure gives way to the rich orchestral texture created by Christensen's English horn riding over the rhythm section. Aaron Copland comes to mind as the theme reveals its expansiveness and potent lyricism. The music immediately captures the vast North American landscapes, evoking at once a sense of longing and a feeling of homecoming. Christensen's phrasing and dynamics inject the theme with drama and poignancy before it dovetails into a duet with the piano, a contrast which displays the hallmarks of this quartet.

In fact, the group functions like an orchestra with different sections being used according to the shape of the music. The ensemble sound is full and rich, its effect even heightened through alternating with various instrument combinations. For instance, the entry of the piano solo is made all the more exciting as the bass and drums start up again after Sund and Christensen's duet. Sund's strong sense of motivic development and use of effective harmonic patterns charge the music while Allison's bass solo is remarkable in its compositional structure. His tremolo effect, put to good use elsewhere, lifts the energy again after the calm, anticipating the return of the haunting theme.

A minor blues, said John Coltrane, "is always good" - and this 24-bar blues in C minor is no exception. Its trademark is the ostinato figure doubled on piano and bass together with some unusual harmonic substitutions within the form. "Here everyone takes a new chance on an old song form", explains Sund. The dramatic Coltranesque opening by Christensen on soprano is matched by the McCoy Tyner school of piano comping. Allison and Kersting, redolent of Jimmy Garrison and Elvin Jones, also surge to meet Christensen's intensity - and the result is terrific. As the solo closes the level comes down and Sund has his "chance" to take the helm, with Allison and Kersting on board. After a flurry of fourths Sund lands on a resounding fifth, out of which a bass improvisation grows, equally fertile and exciting as the previous two. Allison initiates the return of the ostinato and as the theme reappears Kersting embraces it while providing some slick embellishments on the snare drum and exciting accent displacement. He can really make a tune groove and breathe at the same time.

The Watcher & The Moon

The shimmering sound of the glass sweeping across the piano strings, the controlled frenzy of the brushes and the double bass tremolo seem to anticipate the Watcher's encounter with the Moon. Sure enough, suspended above the E pedal, the moon appears in the guise of Christensen's alto flute, infusing the music with calm and beauty. As Sund explains, this piece "is trying to capture what one might call a mystic experience, a personal meeting with the higher force, a moment changing your life forever". The contrast between the atmosphere on the ground created by the rhythm section and that in the night sky painted by Christensen conveys the sense of Man converging with the Divine.

Sund's exploration of the inside of the piano is an effective way to establish a paranormal atmosphere. Creating seldom-heard sounds with accuracy such as the knocking of the frame and strings, either by hand or with a glass, is an art in itself which Sund has studied directly from Richie Beirach and from listening to Chick Corea. The piece prompts an excursion into the world of tone rows, not mechanically, but in a loose and lyrical way such as found in Alban Berg's music.

An intense passage of collective free expression follows the theme, like a rush of afterthoughts before the mysterious tune reappears. As it does so, a dramatic glissando explodes towards the end, coinciding with the penultimate note of the melody. The piece then quickly disappears as mysteriously as it began.

Akire

The chimes of the right hand intervals at the start relive the ambiguous mood of the previous composition. Gradually Sund's solo introduction unfolds into a beautiful slow jazz waltz featuring Christensen on flute. The melody glides effortlessly over the top of some intricate harmony and during its solo the flute darts butterfly-like through these harmonies which are inspired, says Sund, by Stravinsky. Allison's bass solo deserves special mention here: as well as having great presence his solo displays an impressive mixture of soulfulness and agility.

After looking up the meaning of "Akire" without success, I then realised that it is the name of Sund's wife spelt backwards! Erika is a fine Mexican singer whom Sund met at the Manhattan School. This song undoubtedly shows her as the loveliest of Sund's "Americana".

Vashkar

Carla Bley's compelling piece was first recorded in 1963 by her ex-husband, the celebrated avant-garde pianist Paul Bley on his seminal album Footloose. In this version the lengths of the phrases have been modified allowing the interesting harmonies to breathe even more.

Allison creates a strong atmosphere with a mysterious and dramatic solo bass introduction. The level of dynamic is slowly raised as the soprano joins the bass in unison for the first rendition of this beautiful theme. Piano and drums are added, and the whole quartet takes off effortlessly.

Christensen takes the first solo, his rich and expressive sound inducing an air of Spanish sultriness as he explores the tapestry of Phrygian harmony woven by the rhythm section. Sund responds sensitively to Christensen's ideas, marking his journey with melodic and rhythmic embellishments. The soprano solo intensifies and Sund's percussive comping lifts Christensen into a new domain. All the while Kersting's drums add to the excitement - rhythmically strong but at the same time astonishingly ornate. Christensen fades into the distance while Sund takes over, his intricate motifs suspended over fragments of bass and drumming counterpoint. Then the drums disperse and Sund's solo develops into a winding cadenza over Allison's spiralling bass line. Piano and bass come to a natural finish and a momentary void is filled by the dancing sparkle of Kersting's drums. Bley's ingenious melody then reappears, ending succinctly yet effectively.

Pit Jazz

Christensen wrote this exuberant number in the orchestral pit during 42nd Street, intending to write a blues supposed not to sound like one. Pit Jazz is a great vehicle for providing some light relief, particularly after the tension and concentration of the previous pieces. Right from the count-in at the start through to the laughter at the end, the whole piece evokes a playful and joyous mood conjuring up comparisons with Ornette Coleman and Chick Corea's early forays into free jazz.

Sund is the first to have fun after the curtain fall, appending some thrilling moments of burning improvisation with rippling piano textures, reaching ecstatic heights before Christensen's tenor takes the stage. The acrobat is suddenly replaced by a nimble clown as Christensen's burlesque paints a colourful picture. The combination of Sund's spontaneous harmonic judgment together with Allison's responding counterpoint and pedal bass notes provide a rich backdrop for the rousing finish of the tenor solo.

A short sublime piano cadence floats over the top of a series of descending repeated bass notes, marking a dramatic start to Allison's solo. Not without a touch of eccentricity too, Allison maintains the momentum, developing an exciting series of repeated note motifs, sometimes bouncing off the drums. Kersting stops playing and the repeated notes develop into a sequence of long notes alternating with angular walking lines. By this time, the piano re-enters and Allison and Sund nudge Kersting onto centre-stage. A brief but effective drum solo displays an impressive spectrum of colour and timbre as well as some exciting rhythmic manipulation. Suddenly the joyful theme returns - Allison's burst of laughter after the last note shows just how therapeutic it all was!

Nozomi (The Secret Garden)

This piece is a reincarnation of Sund's eponymous 1995 orchestral variations. Dedicated to Toru Takemitsu, Nozomi reflects the mystery and intricacy of the great Japanese composer's orchestral works. Sund's composition is similarly complex: a sense of symmetry as well as thematic and dynamic development pervades both the formal and free improvisational sections.

In a majestic two-minute introduction Christensen's English horn evokes the sound of a Tibetan horn penetrating the vast space of a mountain valley. Three swooping calls ring out, and after two answering phrases, Christensen starts the enigmatic theme with Allison joining in with the countermelody. As if in response to the calling ritual, the instruments assemble one by one.

In the piano and drums exchange, which opens the improvising, tonal clusters and Messiaen-inspired harmonies blend perfectly with Kersting's bubbling toms. Rarely have toms sounded this good. Presently the piano metamorphoses into a hammered dulcimer, introducing a trio with the bass - Allison dropping spectacular bass-notes around Sund's impassioned playing. Then a bass tremolo prompts Christensen's intense trilling and a short dramatic passage involves all four in what sounds like a brief but intense storm characterised by torrential rain (piano), rushing wind (English horn) and thunder (bass and drums).

There is a brief calm before a second trio of English horn, piano and bass develops into one of the most sublime moments of the album. Christensen and Allison are taken by Sund through a passage of romantic intensity, in one place strongly reminiscent of Stravinsky's Firebird. Sund and Christensen continue the rhapsodic mood in duet until the English horn subsides for Sund's closing duet with Allison. This section is just as varied: the dark intervals of the bass play off against the sparse ninths of the piano until the end of the improvising section is signalled by Allison's descending glissando. Suggestive of the erhu (the Chinese bowed instrument), this is one of many instances throughout the composition where, in the spirit of Takemitsu, Sund's music bridges the musical cultures of east and west. The return of the theme neatly wraps this breathtaking musical adventure.

The Cosmic Lawn

The series of outdoor allusions is concluded by "The Cosmic Lawn", a startling display of free improvisation. Only the infectious hi-hat figure of the drums was premeditated, providing a point of reference at the beginning and the end - its intense rhythm contrasting with the static opening collage of the other players.

After Kersting's hi-hat strikes up, Sund follows on with the first of a sequence of frozen chords. Close behind is Christensen's bass clarinet phasing in and out in the bottom register while Allison's fragments of repeated notes add to the mounting suspense. This minimalist exploration is short-lived but it does lay down returning motivic elements, as well as enforcing the experimental atmosphere of the piece.

While the bass clarinet and double bass play off one another, Sund's chords become denser and Christensen embarks on a solo. Suddenly a sitar joins the music - only it is one of Allison's bass strings slackened off to produce this curious sound. For the rest of the piece he alternates to great effect conventional jazz technique, use of glissandi and the sitar sound.

Four descending staccato bass notes introduce a new section marked by unison plucked piano string and drums against the bass clarinet's dramatic squeaks - Allison's bass now ranging the depths. Christensen then moves into a brief though expressive solo of falling phrases.

A burst of piano cascades provides the signal for both Allison's sitar pedal note and Christensen's dark murmurings to become more intense. All the while Kersting's unstoppable hi-hat is ticking away furiously.

For a moment the volume is lowered and an atmosphere of calm intensity is created by Sund's bell-like phrases ringing out over the phasing bass clarinet and the hypnotic sitar. Gradually the mood becomes almost sinister. Rapid broken chords sound over long ominous bass clarinet notes which in turn go off into a spiral of ascending cries. In a final climax Kersting and Allison build up a thick wall of sound over which Sund's piano ripples off into the upper register, culminating in glinting chimes.

Suddenly there is a brief return to the atmosphere established at the start and, compelling and elusive to the last moment, the album draws to a close.

Charles Condy London, June 2003