Winter Morgan

In a period in which the boundaries between musical genres are rapidly dissolving, there still exist major differences between what we still call a “jazz” band and those of other musical classifications.Perhaps the most significant of these is that longevity in a jazz ensemble will nearly always have an entirely positive effect on the music. That’s clearly a huge factor when listening to the high-caliber international quartet put together over a decade ago by the New York-based guitarist-composer Scott DuBois.

With Jim Black we are used to the most different sounds. Paul Motian is one of his main influences, therefore it is not surprising for insiders that he now leads his own troika of piano, bass and drums. In the same way Paul Motian has formed the famous Bill Evans Trio, Jim Black does not find himself in the role of a simple time keeper, but plays melodies on his drums and cymbals interrelating closely with the piano and bass. Comparisons can only be misleading, but Jim Black's analog recording seems to be the continuation of 'Somewhere Before' to another place and into a new time; a great album of the first Keith Jarrett Trio with Charlie Haden on bass and Motian on drums. Music that is the godfather behind the creations of Winter & Winter. Black finds with young pianist Elias Stemeseder and bassist Thomas Morgan, who has worked with Motian, the perfect line-up. The three musicians open their innermost self and have an intimate dialogue captivating the listener. These three artists still have to tell themselves and us a lot of unheard stories.