Georg Ruby

Taking time away from his many activities as big band leader and academic, among others, Köln-based pianist Georg Ruby has crafted this set which puts a fine sheen on his solo skills which have been on display since the 1980s. Known for his collaborations with Michel Pilz among many others, Ruby’s 13 soliloquies vibrate among free jazz, free music and straight-ahead configurations. Besides depending as much on textures from his instrument’s innards as on the keyboard, his playing is frequently more percussive than pianistic. At points clenched throat rasps, emotive mumbles and other mouth noises are added. Additionally Reinhard Kobialka contributes loops and sound design to several tracks but that scarcely alter the sound.

Occasionally expressing mainstream tropes, theme subversion is more common. His version of “Efterårsdag/Autumn Leaves” for instance blends multi-fingered cascades and stops into a contrafact of the standard. Scraps of the familiar tune appear at random, but raggy elevated key tinkles and backwards staccato slides integrate both lines with motion more prominent than melody. Additionally his treatment of the sentimental Third Reich-associated “Für eine Nacht voller Seligkeit” starts with a hunt-and-peck theme variant, speeds up to a pseudo boogie-woogie, but ends with a burlesque of operatic extravagance that could have made Marika Rökk proud.

More generic are tracks like “Saturday”, “Donderdag” and “Viernes”. The first two which follow one another, blend metallic hammering, backboard slaps and keyboard shudders with wood pops, high-pitched clinks and pedal point shudders. More intense, “Viernes” creates drama from string strumming and reflective echoes of certain melodic phrases, with the throbbing exposition finally quieted by single key clicks. Still, both keep circling back to the same limited phrases

Quivering and ringing patterns are on occasion torqued with laryngology utterances which range from whiny and pinched pharynx-affiliated sounds (“Cumpleaños”) to emotionally heated exclamations (“Terça-feira à noit”) to choked tensile-like Bedlam laughs. These throat-and-mouth embellishments relate directly to rhythmic or melodic pivots, usually as the expositions speed up with inner string vibrations, pressurized keyboard runs and especially when the variations seem almost never ending and practically unstoppable.

Ruby may involve himself in multiple musical fields but Soliloquies confirm his piano playing is as confident and memorable as ever.

–Ken Waxman

Track Listing: 1. Montag 2. Cumpleaños 3. Feriado 4. Viernes 5. Nefertiti 6. Terça-feira à noit 7. Efterårsdag/Autumn Leaves 8. Saturday 9. Donderdag 10. Terça-feira à tarde 11. Mercoledi 12. Dimanche 13. Für eine Nacht voller Seligkeit

Personnel: Georg Ruby (piano, percussions and voice) and Reinhard Kobialka (loops and live sound design)