Michael Denhoff - Player Piano 8 - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

Suspended is Urbex's third album, but also the first live recording of this adventurous group formed five years ago. The repertory is written by Antoine Pierre (TaxiWars, Philip Catherine, Joshua Redman, Jacky Terrasson etc.), the sextet's leader, who has drawn his inspiration from the electronic period of Miles Davis, with the album Bi**hes Brew as it's inspiration. The recording was made in the outstanding acoustics of the famous Studio 4 at Flagey (Brussels) during the first public presentation of this new creation. The result is imbued with a powerful groove that leads, by way of an eruption of sound and energy, to a kind of trance. Since it's formation in 2015, Urbex has played in the most prestigious jazz venues and released two critically acclaimed albums that were awarded 'CHOC' in Jazz Magazine, 'Indispensable' in Jazz New, 'MUST TSF Jazz' and an Octave de la Musique in 2018.

For us, piano duets are a particularly special form of musical expression, somewhere between solo playing and chamber music. If the two-headed dragon of fairytales were to exist, he would probably feel something like a duo playing piano duets. Two performers on one instrument, who have to function as a complete unit. Every musical thought and idea, every feeling and motion must immediately be transformed into a shared intention. Meanwhile other obstacles to be overcome include a slightly awkward position at the keyboard, and the fact that only one player uses the pedals of the piano. And yet playing duets is such an incredible source of inspiration, the benefit is reaped in all other genres of music-making. Great masters composed extremely generously for this combination. Starting with the masterpieces of Mozart up to the present day, piano duets have a rich, varied repertoire at their fingertips. (Izabella Simon, Dénes Várjon)

Michael Sch fer - Piano Works [COMPACT DISCS] date 10/27/2009