Stefan Keune/Sandy Ewen/Damon Smith

Both an earnest acknowledgement and a creative music assemblage, Two Felt-Tip Pens is a live set of free improvisation created to memorialize the work of the late German bassist Hans Schneider (1951-2024). While only fellow German, alto/sopranino saxophonist Stefan Keune had extended playing associations with Schneider, both American bassist Damon Smith and Canadian guitarist Sandy Ewen are experienced creative musicians who join with Keune to make this an exemplary session of free improvised sounds.

Smith, who has played with everyone from Alvin Fielder to Jason Stein; and Ewan, who often works with Weasel Walter and Smith intersect craftily with Keune’s keening shrieks and dissident trills with bass string resonations and ringing guitar frails.

What this means is that the four selections which make up the disc, named for one of Schneider’s painting, feature almost continuous playing, with no letdown as the three probe the highest, lowest, fragmented and tightened timbres available. Throughout the gauged intersection is redolent with watery, biting and broken octave reed trills and overblown honks from both of Keune’s saxophones. Matching this are Smith’s ratcheting pressure and rugged arco slices, with these rumbles an ostinato or pointed commentary on whatever aviary squeaks or split tone shrieks the saxophonist outputs. Also ensuring that sonic color graduations are audible as part of the nearly opaque expositions, Ewans stands a little back from the others, but contributes string splatters, electrified vibrations and potent, measured strums.

Although the program probes both emphasized hills and valleys in textural elaborations, there’s no designed introduction or finale. Instead what’s offered are unceasing variations in tone, cadence and pitch. Overall, with these four tracks, the trio members confirm their skills and etch an unsentimental threnody to a departed fellow improviser.

–Ken Waxman

Track Listing: 1. Cream/Butter 2. Oil 3. Red Wine 4. Salt

Personnel: Stefan Keune (sopranino and alto saxophones); Sandy Ewen (guitar) and Damon Smith (bass)