NY Ensembles
Goschart, 2022
8/10
Recorded live in 2013, the composer, arranger, saxophonist, flutist, and pianist Chris Torkewitz is aligned with his Jazz Chamber Ensemble and Jazz Orchestra on this highly creative and solo filled adventure.
“Vista” starts the listen with fascinating string picking as playful winds and charming percussion enter the very unpredictable climate, and “Farbtoene” follows with a sublime delivery of atmospheric keys and cautious yet adventurous song craft amid the balladry. “Noticias”, the best selection from this portion with the Jazz Chamber Orchestra, then brings a charming cinematic quality that’s capable of tense moments as well as bouts of bright beauty.
The back half of the listen offers the precise drumming, energetic brass and melodic structure of “Filou”, while “T.S. (Tentet)” emits a stylish and bouncy version of jazz that swings alongside a cozy spirit that spotlights Torkewitz’s flute prowess. The listen exits with the stirring strings of “Ausblick”, where the meticulous manipulation is quite absorbing.
An extremely intricate listen that is still very accessible to any ears pointed towards jazz ideas, past and present, it may have taken a long time to see the light of day, but NY Ensembles is certainly worth the wait.
Travels well with: Amos Gillespie- Unstructured Time; Gerry Eastman Trio- Trust Me