[koncert/concert] Reijseger/Biondini/Godard (Klub CD)

It all occured on the last day of March, or should we stress, the penultimate day of the weakening winter. Of course, April is sometimes as devilish as it can be, and I feel just about devilish enough to write in English. That settled, there follows a short recollection of this extraordinary concert, that went on from early evening hours until midnight on that very day, 31st of March.

Firstly, I have actually never had the chance of hearing any of the musicians live, very closely missed Ernst Reijseger on the Druga godba festival two years ago, where he seemingly charmed the advanced listeners, but I did not know much of his live performance alltogether. Luciano Biondini was a completely new name to me, but I thought: playing the accordeon and being a witty looking Italian with that florentine giggle might just do the trick. Thirdly, there was Michel Godard, the acclaimed tube (or serpent or whatever they call those newly forged "barrels") player, that broadened tube's vocabulary in jazz to a new extent. So, informed with all this nonsense, I just attended the event, alone.

I will be short, for special concerts never need additional whipped cream. Ernst was trying to break the mental cords of his cello, Luciano was exploiting accordeon in a way that it could replace a whole symphonic orchestra (what full sound accordeon really offers!), Michel was reviving the Tibetan mysteries with his lower notes on the tube and provided a disonant key to the diversity of three-musicians-interaction. A shame the mellow, yet structurally firm improvisations of the three virtuosos did not come to meet more eager ears. The Club of Cankarjev dom, Ljubljana, was half empty (to a pessimistic eye), and I had that strange feeling that they would get even more whacky on the stage with some more feedback. Though! It has to be said, that the people present constantly expanded the applause and gave a very affirmative reaction throughout, yet that effect dispersed somewhere in the fat air beneath the low ceiling.

Reijseger/Biondini/Godard is surely one of the most astounding jazz improvisation trios I have ever set my ear on, and even in their most extravagant excurses (all they "needed" was another Han Bennink, Reijseger's long-time friend, on the mouth drum) they remained connected, even if only one was playing, the pressure of solo or the pressure of duo was never felt, because their bridges between modes of play were as soft as a nightingale's feather. I still think they could devote some more energy to two or more pieces, so my overall feeling is 9.8/10. Ha!