Bernhard Meyer - Murmuration (2018)

"I've had this cast in my head for a long time," says Bernhard Meyer about his quintet, which combines an unusual combination of instruments and charismatic musicians. "The specific sound has come together in my imagination over time," Meyer continues, "inspired by the collaboration with individual of these musicians in smaller formations." Of course, there is again the ingenious unity with his brother Peter, well-known by three highly praised albums and countless concerts of the Melt Trio. Bernhard Meyer's special melodic playing on the semi-resonant bass also impressed in cooperation with Norway's live remix and electric grandmaster Jan Bang (with the Melt Trio), John Hollenbeck, Jim Black, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Nasheet Waits, Eric Schaefer and others.
For a while now, the Meyer brothers, in parallel to the Melt Trio, are exploring similarities with another outstanding drummer on the German scene, namely Andi Haberl. The Bavarian electoral Berliner has distinguished himself through striking assignments with the Andromeda Mega Express Orchestra and has been thrilling for years in Europe's most progressive indie rock band The Notwist. In addition, Bernhard Meyer played several concerts as a chamber jazz trio with the clarinet virtuoso and electronics tinkerer Claudio Puntin and Julius Heise, who is a subtle jazz vibraphonist u.a. Brand Brauer Frick Ensemble shone.
Some time ago, Bernhard Meyer united the different personalities into a new quintet. On Murmuration, the stylists now achieve enormous depth and wonderful detail. Sometimes they play extremely filigree, complete like a ballerina surprising twists on tiptoe. At the same time, their interactions contain a force that can dynamically break new ground, reinforce and condense contrasts. The expression ranges from acoustic nuances to contemporary electronic vignettes to futuristic facets. Bernhard Meyer's individual bass playing goes far beyond primers, carries melodies and rhythms. In addition, the internal task distribution changes. Sometimes Peter Meyer and Julius Heise create harmonious chords and transparent layers of sound, then the guitarist moves to the side of Claudio Puntin to merge melodies and electro-sounds. A little later, the brothers Meyer and Andi Haberl act as a rhythm section, which makes pointed pressure.
Bernhard Meyer's compositions and arrangements spread a wide panorama. It's so varied that you can go on and on, curious about what's going on behind the next bend. Melodies and themes light up, step into the background and suddenly come back from a different direction. Each piece has its own character. In Plain Air echoes of Steve Reich's groundbreaking minimalism, Unchild conveys almost sacred mood, Wooden captivates through its open, in the broader sense free investment. In the meantime reminiscent of John Hollenbeck's Claudia Quintett, Bill Frisell, is to be seen in colorful shades of arrangements by Sufjan Stevens or Kurt Rosenwinkels Heartcore. A scale by Olivier Messiaen forms the basis for a triple unison in Corus.
Again and again new perspectives surprise, even within some titles Meyer skilfully plays with alleged contrasts. For example, at Growl, where weightless, warm-timbred vibes and cool-monolithic synthesizers meet each other and get along remarkably well. In Plain Air, after a while, classic minimalism gives way to a passage through which the spirit of Charles Mingus blows, towards the end the play approaches the indie progressive rocker Grizzly Bear. Throughout the album, grooves alternate with odd meters and fictitious rhythms. Some sophistication may be hidden from the listener, which does not disturb either the enjoyment or Bernhard Meyer. Above all, he sees the conceptual considerations of his pieces as a toolbox in order to come up with new ideas. As an example of subtle details, he mentions his bass improvisation in Aphir, which does not appear as a traditional solo, but is abstracted in the live remix by Peter Meyer and Claudio Puntin.
Bernhard Meyer has meticulously refined many aspects of his compositions. As the head of the quintet, he is indeed a source of ideas and inspiration, but at the same time he is keen that his partners have spaces to contribute their personal talents. So drummer Andi Haberl and the classically trained, in New Music savvy Julius Heise can flash their sense of orchestration. A master in this discipline is Claudio Puntin, if he does not shine as a soloist. Born in 1965 in the Central Swiss train, the multi-award winning clarinetist has in recent years, in addition to his own productions for film, theater, radio plays and A