Umiak

Practically unknow except among Artic scholars, Umiak, the name of this trio, is also that of a boat used by the Inuit which demand careful rowing and steering. Adopting that word and similar terms from aboriginal people as track titles, the group members reflect the partnership needed for the proper navigation. Overall they live up to the name, although the politically correct may quibble that their Europeanized improvisations don’t reflect those indigenous people or their music.

That because all the players are Swiss. Soprano/tenor saxophonist Eva-Maria Karbacher is involved with other bands and collaborates with dancers. Oudist Christian Moser also plays in other groups, while veteran cellist Alfred Zimmerlin is part of a string trio with Harald Kimmig and Daniel Studer. Moser’s oud manipulation, which trades off with cello strokes as the creator of grounded continuum or improvised embellishments create another unique texture here, although its use is unlike its role in ethnic music.

The common strategy is for the string players to thump, strum and frail distinctive scene-setting motifs around the saxophonist who advances themes with encompassing flutter tonguing, thick overblowing, horizontal flutters and even ocarina-like peeps. Since the string players aren’t forced to create harmonies, scratches from below their instruments’ bridges, col legno pops from the cellist and clenching oud’s strings for speedier flanges become their expositions.

This mixture of equity and expression is expressed in extended form on “Irrwitz” and “Irrgarten”, Irrlicht’s longest tracks. On the first reed snarls open up into siren-like overblowing to meet jagged and repetitive string strokes. A mid-point pivot by Karbacher to warmer, more rounded saxophone tones lasts only as long as gargling trills and reed reflux affiliate with pizzicato raps and arco thrusts from Zimmerlin and Moser. In contrast understated string stops quickly move to the foreground on “Irrgarten” backed by almost unending horizontal breaths from the saxophonist. Powerful oud strums and tremolo cello strokes then change places with the saxophonist’s thin bent notes until the climax is reached with Karbacher’s circular breathed drone.

No matter its moniker Umiak creates sophisticated improvised music. To avoid cultural appropriation, the band could instead have called itself Boote/Bateaux/Barche satisfying all of Switzerland’s language groups, But that could have been even more awkward.

–Ken Waxman

Track Listing: 1. Auf Hoher See 2. Irrläufer 3. Irrsal 4. Glut 5. Irrwitz 6. Irrgarten 7. Irrlicht

Personnel: Eva-Maria Karbacher (soprano and tenor saxophones); Christian Moser (oud) and Alfred Zimmerlin (cello)