Christopher Kunz & Florian Fischer

Rodrigo Amado/Chris Corsano
The Healing
European Echoes 005

Reduced to the crux of skin, metal, reed and wood, two duos demonstrate the essence of unadorned improv and in the process show how many sonic currents can be revealed in such a simple set up. A second meeting between Portuguese tenor saxophonist Rodrigo Amado and American drummer Chris Corsano The Healing’s four extended live tracks confirm with how singly or together they play can fit into situations with everyone from Akira Sakata to Joe McPhee. A similar second outing, the other disc matches slightly younger Germans, soprano and tenor saxophonist Christopher Kunz and drummer Florian Fischer, who on their own have worked with players including Achim Kaufmann, Tony Buck and Silke Eberhard

As intense as any storied so-called Ecstatic Jazz, and like the guitarist in Spinal Tap Amado and Corsano start playing at 10 and goes up to 11. During the mammoth, near-24-minute title track and its reduced follow ups, the two attain the sound equivalent of molten fire as they smash, mash, ruff, paradiddle and rumble every manner of intense idiophone patterns as simultaneously the assemblage of reed tones vibrates through multiphonics and wallowing single tones, encompassing snorts, swallows, harsh bites, suspended slurs and stretched cries.

Along with Woody Woodpecker-like asides and a cornucopia of overblowing devices, Amado’s repeated reed sequences and rounded whole notes add a correlated span to the improvisions, Split tone severances never take the place of soldering synthesis. As for Corsano, while his expositions usually align as prestissimo, cymbal chings and resonating smashes, positioned rim shots, steel drum-like vibrations and gong-like resonations break up the percussion flow. At dedicated points, the saxophonist’s corkscrew vibrations and the drummer’s emphasized pounding give way to interludes of moderated connection and restrained extrapolations.

The other CD’s pressurized interaction is replaced by languid development and almost relaxed narratives, at least at the top. In fact as the album develops the drummer’s pops and rolls appear to be echoing alongside not only foghorn-like growls and horizontal flutters, but reed tones that could be yodels and what could be snatches of “La Marseillaise”. Inference turns to intensity around the time “Engage and Hold”  arrives, with thinning reed squeaks and metal rattles emphasized, as woody clip clops and strained rumbles from Fischer match up with Kunz’s squealing soprano saxophone timbres that are piled upon one another with profusion. This is project spiraling excitement with a turn towards circular breathing.

As reed beeps and doits add to the exposition as variations becoming speedier, the session climaxes with “Processionary Moth”, the extended final track. As full force in execution as Amado and Corsano are during most of their duo, open-horn extensions nearly exfoliate tones to their core as cymbal pummeling become more emphatic and strident. Closely miked ratcheting percussion pressure and reed overblowing reach a crescendo then dissolve into thinning squeaks and shakes. Referencing the relaxed beginning, the two have reached a full circle,

Enlarged and dissected textures from each of these duos demonstrate the colorization of a sound canvas that can be available with the right partners.

–Ken Waxman

Track Listing: Healing: 1. The Healing Day 2. The Cry 3. Griot 4. Releases Is In The Mind

Personnel: Healing: Rodrigo Amado (tenor saxophone) and Chris Corsano (drums)

Track Listing: Die: 1. The sowing of 2. Dispersion and Focus 3. Fleisch of Doom 4. Ant Icks 5. Engage and Hold 6. Ponzipump 7. Second Intake 8. Processionary Moth

Personnel: Die: Christopher Kunz (soprano and tenor saxophones) and Florian Fischer (drums)