Matthias Müller/Andreas Willers

Tossing away textures from additional instruments, but not extended techniques, Germans, trombonist Matthias Müller and guitarist Andreas Willers create six instant compositions to reveal all that can be done sonically with just three valves, a slide, six strings and an amp. Not that either specializes exclusively in Free Music. Müller has worked with musicians like John Butcher and Ignaz Schick, but was also part of the Bob Dylan celebrating Absolutely Sweet Marie quartet; while Willers, who has played with everyone from Frank Paul Schubert to Alvin Curran, is also part of the Derek Plays Eric trio whose touchstone are Bailey and Clapton.

While the song form is banished during this session, the players, veterans of multiple duo sessions, organize interactions so that there are melodic motifs and linear interludes. Additionally, despite their instruments reputation for coarse pressurized textures, quieter brass grace notes and simple folksy strums are part of the program.

Mosty however Müller expresses himself with smeared growls, half-valve strains, burbling shakes, full-force plunger pivots and yelping triplets. Willers’ string strategies encompass percussive thwacks, clenched pressure, jagged flanges and note-bending twangs. Contrapuntal cooperation is also emphasized, as on “wrögelich sungn” where bottleneck frails meet hollow tunnel-like valve-less puffs or on “lot uns man nie griepn” during which gutbucket brass scoops relax into grace notes as single string stabs are marshalled into horizontal  strums.

Tension release is even craftily practiced on the extended “as sik dat höört”. Although simple breaths through the trombone’s body tube, mouthpiece stutters and projected slurs share space with knob-twisting static and ringing string twangs, pressure gradually fizzes into fluttering grace notes and relaxed strums.

No one will mistake this eponymously named disc for a lyrical Jim Hall-Bob Brookmeyer disc or an abstract one featuring Paul Rutherford and Derek Bailey. However Müller and Willers stealthily use aspects of both extremes to demonstrate their singular and striking duo strategy.

–Ken Waxman

Track Listing: 1. geel dropen 2. as sik dat höört 3. lot uns man nie griepn 4. wrögelich sungn 5. spökenkieker

Personnel: Matthias Müller (trombone) and Andreas Willers (guitar)