Stephen Gauci/Joe Hertenstein

Dismantling cliches about age and geography are the three tranches of top-flight in-the-moment improvisation by a quartet of three generations of players from two counties. Organized on the spur-of-the-moment after New York tenor saxophonist Stephen Gauci arrived in Germany, he’s thrust into profound interaction with one of ther avatars of European Free Music, pianist Alexander von Schlippenbach, 84, and two other Germans of about his age, versatile bassist Jan Roder, a member of von Schlippenbach’s Monk’s Casino group and many others, and drummer Joe Hertenstein, who moves between New York and Berlin and works with Joe Fonda.

Gauci, who regularly plays with explosive piano stylists like Cooper-Moore, despite distance and jet lag, figuratively hits the ground running and is quickly sounding harsh reflux and wallowing in low-pitched slurs in response to the pianist’s double-time crunches and echoes. They are ably seconded by powerful double bass thumps, cymbal splashes and rhythmic clusters.

With Roder’s lat-weight-like string pulls creating a pulse often decorated with Hertenstein’s bell-tree shaking accents, the saxophonist and pianist have a bulwark on which to extend timbres. Gauci in particular take advantage of this, moving from abrasive paint-stripping screeches and dog-whistle yelps to scooping out basemen tones. Von Schlippenbach too explores the deeper pedal point area of his instrument amid busy, almost unremitting key pounding. But he alternates these tropes with melodic and moderato interlocutions. Besides comping which encompasses Bop and Stride, he’ll sometimes quote snatches of unexpected sources like “Just a Gigolo” or end a section with a bugle-call-like riff.

Capstone and climax arrive in the third sequence as a thematic exposition moves contrapuntally with extended timbral explorations. Roder’s playing is more upfront as he comments on the others’ sounds while extending the exposition with a walking pulse. Hertenstein’s interlude involves rim clips, bell-ringing and cymbal clangs. As at the start though, focus remains on sax and piano. Gauci’s pressurized tones extend into renal reed pushing, ferocious split tones and showers of distended sour timbres as von Schlippenbach counters with clumps of  contrasting dynamic, single key prods and detours into Bop voicing.

Having successfully demonstrated that sound can be lifted to its most pliant and profound adaptability with a chance musical configuration, the four attain their goal.

–Ken Waxman

Track Listing: 1. Soundlift 1 2. Soundlift 2 3. Soundlift 3

Personnel: Stephen Gauci (tenor saxophone); Alexander von Schlippenbach (piano); Jan Roder (bass) and Joe Hertenstein (drums)