Frush

An exemplar of EuroImprov cooperation, Frush outlines the skills of four creative musician veteran Dutch tenor saxophonist/clarinetist Luc Houtkamp, German drummer Martin Blume, UK pianist Steve Beresford and Italian trombonist Sebi Tramontana. Working out affiliations and demarcations, ironically enough, post-Brexit, the most cunning sound disruptions come from the pianist.

Veering between pop and progressive in his comping, Beresford, who also manipulates objects during the seven tracks, periodically interrupts his paced and projected keyboard expressions that range from key clipping to expressive inner string tweaks to throw a spanner in the works. There’s a snatch of ragtime plinking heard during  Blume’s bell-ringing and rolls on “Flusk” , quickly doubled by tailgate trombone slurs; and on “Fream” an intersecting of near-pop melodies with schlanger tinkles and pastoral lyricism that insinuates itself among upwards reed squeaks and snarls, brass whoops and squawks. Gentling chords are contrasted with the others’ roistering sound wallows. Throughout the session as well, some of the gurgles and peeps heard probably emanate from the pianist’s objects rather than the others’ horns. And is it Beresford blowing the harmonica on the title tune?

Connected and responsive to anticipated and unexpected stimuli, the other players express experimentation and entente in equal measures and segue and splinter expositions when necessary. Restrained, Blume rumbles, pops, clanks or time ruptures when most appropriate. Tramontana stutters, snorts, slides, slurs and screams through his horn’s body tube depending on the pitch or tempo, as he confidently matches Houtkamp’s smooth or squeaky output. Buzzing, honking, yelping and note bending on tenor saxophone, Houtkamp’s clarion clarinet flutters are quieter and more responsive on the other hand. He can express himself with aviary cries or woodpecker-like reed bites, but retains some horizontal motifs to propel expositions forward as well. Despite Beresford’s jagged banjo-like string twangs and equivalent keyboard digressions, overall unlike unthinking disrupters like Donald Trump or Boris Johnson, even  he works cooperatively throughout the program.

Creating a free music definition for the 21^st Century, the Frush quartet shows that textural equanimity and eureka moments can coexist with creative sounds.

–Ken Waxman

Track Listing: 1. Frap 2. Flusk 3. Fidther 4. Fream 5. Frush 6. Fracchen 7. Frizzling

Personnel: Sebi Tramontana (trombone); Luc Houtkamp (tenor saxophone and clarinet); Steve Beresford (piano) and Martin Blume (drums)