Level Crossing
Circum-Disc, 2023
8/10
A quartet from Germany, Switzerland and France, Trapeze’s roots go back to December 2022 at a residency in Lille, and the shared interest in improvisation and free jazz led to these 6 creative tracks.
“A Nap In The Drawer” opens the listen with Matthias Müller’s carefully manipulated trombone alongside plenty of random noises amid Sakina Abdou’s playful saxophone, and “Driving Lesson” follows with the bright brass and Peter Orins’ well timed drums for the unique textures.
The middle belongs to the strategic droning of the title track, where the blurry brass is met with cinematic qualities, while “Trapeze” emits warm sax and plenty of adventurous drumming for the busy, dynamic delivery. The last track, “A New Bike By Parcel”, finishes with a glitchy appeal, where Joke Lanz’s turntable prowess is greatly appreciated and mixes with the thumping drums and unpredictable horns in the 14+ minutes.
A highly innovative listen that’s as unconventional as it is intriguing, the quartet put a very experimental twist on jazz ideas with fascinating results.
Travels well with: Léon Aphar and Ivann Cruz- Alphar’s Cave; Peter Orins- Dead Dead Gang