Und Zarathustra Tanzte
GLM, 2021
8/10
Listen to Und Zarathustra Tanzte
The always impressive pianist Kilian Kemmer is aligned with Masaki Kai’s bass and Matthias Gmelin’s drumming on this very philosophical listen where nods to Nietzsche and Ellington won’t go unnoticed, nor will their skilled and strategic song craft.
“Ewige Wiederkunft” starts the listen with hypnotic keys as frisky drumming complements the adventurous spirit of the jazz influenced opener, and “Hirte” follows with a more bare approach as much beauty weaves in and out of the warm piano and cautious plucked bass lines amid much emotion.
Near the middle, “Oh Himmel” flows with pretty melodies alongside strong attention to detail among the trio, while “Blues For Nietzsche” delivers much exploration as a poetic quality meets a playful venture. “Angelico- Bavaria” then trims the pace back to ballad territory initially, where gracefulness enters a minimal approach of sublime dynamics.
Closer to the end, “Das Fragment An Sich” highlights mood and atmosphere, where elegant keys are the focus, before the spoken word fueled “Das Groesste Schwergewicht” exits the listen, effectively adding a literate angle to the very well thought out album.
Kemmer holds a PHD in philosophy, and here he bridges his academic and musical life together in flourishing, exciting ways that inject much creativity into a Nietzsche poem where classical ideas find their way in the midst of a nostalgic jazz climate.
Travels well with: Cecilie Strange- Blikan; Gabriel Latchin- I’ll Be Home For Christmas