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Dave Wayne
GRENCSO KOLLEKTIVA PLUSZ
Seven Songs to the Last Mohicans
7 Ének az utolsó Mohikánoknak CDB065
Multi-reed artist Istvan Grencso's music is more playful, eclectic
and risky than Dresch's, though his fascination with Hungarian
ethnic music and jazz-based improvisation is just as strong. Unlike
Dresch, Grencso is very active as a sideman and collaborator in a
number of groups, including the Tickmayer Formatio (led by
keyboardist Stephen Tickmayer, a recent associate of ex-Henry Cow
drummer Chris Cutler), and Makam, a progressive instrumental folk
band. Though the basic configuration of the Kollektiva is a reeds -
bass (acoustic or electric) - drums trio, its size and
instrumentation varies with the musical task at hand. On "Seven
Songs...", Grencso augments his working trio with an electric
guitarist, a violinist / vocalist and, on selected pieces, two
turntablists and a vocal trio. The result is nothing less than
kaliedoscopic.
Stylistically, "Seven Songs..." is all over the map, though it never
feels like the product of fashion-driven eclecticism. Over the
course of the CD, Grencso successfully integrates Gregorian chant
(Second Song-II, Seventh Song-II), weird rock (Second Song-II, Fifth
Song, Sixth Song II), and funk (First Song-II, Fourth Song, Seventh
Song-II), with free / modern jazz and Hungarian folk / ethnic
influences to produce some very striking and memorable music. Some
of these pieces are haunting, and creepily evocative of some
impending disaster (First Song-I). Others are joyous, raucous
celebrations with just a tinge of regret.
Grencso's musicianship is outstanding, as is that of his group.
Primarily an alto saxophonist with Dresch, Szabados, and on previous
Kollektiva recordings, here, Grencso concentrates on tenor and
soprano sax. He's an excellent player - imaginative, full of fire,
and not afraid to investigate the outer limits of his instruments.
Bassist Robert Benko might just be Hungary's answer to Charlie Haden
- he's a percussive player with an ear for melodies and dark
harmonies, and Grencso gives him many opportunities to shine. Gabi
Kenderesi's voice is also a huge asset. She has a wide stylistic
range, and her largely wordless, vibratoless singing is emotive and
soulful without being cute or cloying. Guitarist Csaba Hajnoczy is
not really a jazz player, per se. His very brittle, very electric
tone and penchant for dissonant, tortured tonal clusters recalls
advanced rockers such as Fripp, Frith and Zappa rather than Frisell,
McLaughlin or Metheny. On the less frenzied tunes (Third Song, Sixth
Song-II), he resorts to well-articulated phrases played with a
clean, crystalline sound. Due, perhaps, to the larger ensemble size,
drummer Gyorgy Jeszenszky
keeps a much lower profile here than on the previous Grencso
Kollektiva recordings. The singers and turntablists are not just
pasted on to attract attention: their striking and unusual
contributions underscore the feelings of chaos, and peace, that
Grencso is trying to express.
Both of these CDs offer more than just exciting, interesting and
inspired music. All of the really influential jazz artists - Duke,
Mingus, Ayler, Coltrane, Miles, and others - studied folk and roots
musics, and then synthesized these raw materials to create truly
innovative contemporary music. By first understanding, and then
incorporating, their Hungarian ethnic musical heritage into a more
contemporary jazz-based improvisational form, Mihaly Dresch Dudas
and Istvan Grencso have created music that owes very little to what
most US listeners think of as jazz. Yet, it is jazz. More
importantly, their strikingly fresh, and highly original music
contains the passion of discovery. Anyone willing to explore the
fringes of European jazz will be richly rewarded when they encounter
the Dresch Quartet and the Grencso Kollektiva.
Personnel Seven Songs to the Last Mohicans: Istvan Grencso, tenor
and soprano saxophones, whistle, accordions, toys, sticks; Robert
Benko, bass, cello; Gyorgy Jeszenszky, drums; Gabi Kenderesi, voice,
violin; Csaba Hajnoczy, guitar; Csaba Gyulai, voice (3, 10); Andras
Koncz, voice (3, 10); Zoltan Mizsei, voice (3, 10); DJ Mango,
turntables (6, 10); DJ Shuriken, turntables (6, 10)
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