Schweizer/Carl/Dyani/Bennink

An uncut gem but sill shining from 1981, Irène’s Hot Four showcases a live Zürich jazz festival date when Free Jazz was at its wildest and wooliest period. The sizzling band included Swiss pianist Irène Schweizer (1941-2024), and German saxophonist, clarinetist and accordionist Rüdiger Carl, part of groups from 1973, with added heat applied by Duch drummer Han Bennink at his wildest and wooliest and South African bassist Johnny Dyani (1945-1986).

The group name invokes the passion exhibited by earlier jazz combos, yet the performance mixes spontaneity with control. Carl’s improvising encompasses tremolo accordion pumps and altissimo reed split tones or scooped squawks; Bennink smashes, slaps and shakes every idiophone available; and Schweizer’s dynamic output includes linear expositions, emphasized glissandi, internal string judders only Dyani’s string pumps and stops steady the program. This is especially tur when keyboard patterns and stabs approximated broken-chord freedom and boogie-woogie freneticism in turn,

Peak of all this intensity occurs on “All Inclusive’, the disc’s extended pre-encore concert climax. As the saxophonist overblows harsh tones of bar-walking-style honks and triple tongued screams, Bennink responds in kind with rim shot clips and echoing pops augmented with triangle clanks, gearwheel ratchets, kazoo squeaks and megaphone-amplified yells and even the bassist augments his thumps and adds some sotte voce vocalizing. Switching from prestissimo chording with pseudo-ragtime syncopation to emphasize a swing groove, Schweizer aided by Carl’s flowing accordion wails, uses key stops and jerks to guide everyone into a rousing finish.

Early and later amplification of heightened moments confirms the extreme malleability of the program. It also confirms how in-the-moment improvisations can moderate any excesses – usually on Bennink’s part  – to propel all timbres into group tandem evolution. A dedicated champion of feminist responses to too assertive male domination of free music, Schweizer, who was born in this month, would go on to explore numerous avenues – both metered and completely spontaneous – of creative sounds.  However this never-before-released performance remains one highpoint of her accommodation with ferocious free improvising.

–Ken Waxman

Track Listing: 1. Reise 2. Freizeit 3. All Inclusive 4. Encore

Personnel: Rüdiger Carl (tenor and alto saxophones, clarinet and accordion); Irène Schweizer (piano); Johnny Dyani (bass and vocal) and Han Bennink (drums, percussion and megaphone)