Birgitta Flick Quartet

Color Studies

Price: € 14.95
Format: CD
Label: Double Moon Records
UPC: 0608917135329
Catnr: DMCHR 71353
Release date: 05 October 2018
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Label
Double Moon Records
UPC
0608917135329
Catalogue number
DMCHR 71353
Release date
05 October 2018

"A beautiful album with beautiful compositions and a superior playing quartet and the name Birgitta Flick is one to remember!"

Rootstime, 02-11-2018
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Composer(s)
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About the album

This is a step in a different direction. Forward, sideways, pause for a moment and then continue. But do not go back in any case. Before Birgitta Flick was pigeonholed as a Nordic sound artist due to the explicitly Swedish, peaceful, expansive ambiance of her previous albums “Yingying” (DMCHR 71121) and “Dalarna” (DMCHR 71170), she wanted to very consciously head in a different direction, introduce new colors, get to the bottom of them and play with them. Although there is of course grey again (“Grey”), because that fits somehow to the reflective tenor saxophonist, who was grown up in the area of Neubrandenburg and lives in Berlin. However, she also likes to romp around in “Yellow Room”, loves the colorful hotchpotch of “Pop Art”, juggles with musical shades of color in “Major and Minor” (composed by Béla Bartók), surprises with a “Happy Song” (“Happiness is currently the color blue for me. But that can change again in half a year.”) and gets to bottom of everything, i.e., “Color Studies”. A paradigm shift for Birgitta Flick, which gives her and her perfectly matched band with drummer Max Andrzejewski, pianist Andreas Schmidt and the new bassist James Banner the possibility to present themselves as sound artists in the best sense of the word.

“After ‘Dalarna’, which originated from an order for a composition with a clear contextual background, we simply wanted to move in free space, wanted to improvise and combine the sum total of our inspirations,” Birgitta Flick explained the motif of her collective studies. “The idea with colors originated rather by chance, because I had the piece ‘Color Studies’. However, we soon realized that it expresses what we are doing very well.” The reason is that Flick, Andrzejewski, Schmidt and Banner experiment with the respective compositions as well as their melodic and rhythmic structures to create music from and for the moment.

In the process, we again experience the amazing magnetic attraction of a quartet, this small, compact, unbelievably dynamic band lineup. The musicians have to fit together in any case, love freedom and master their respective instrument. They start with a minimum of guidelines and information, interleave, and blend seamlessly into one. “There are notes there, and we simply make something of them,” Birgitta Flick stated concisely. When they do this, only unique pieces are created, no copies or repetitions, even in concerts. Everything comes and disappears again (if it is not recorded as in this case). Consequently, there are two different versions of Bach’s “Sarabande”, Flick’s older, many-layered miniature “Gespenster” and even “Color Studies” on the album, which approach themes from two opposing sides. Additionally, there are the dedications “Für Paul”, “Für Connie” (in honor of the deceased pianist Connie Crothers), “Line”, “Kor” and “H”, the homage by Andreas Schmidt for Thelonious Monk and Eric Dolphy (“Molphy”), his “Art Pop” as well as the collective improvisation “Ludus”. Four instrument players who come together in a confined space, four streams of thought, 16 takes, exciting, unique and gripping.

The “Color Studies” reveal themselves to be a collection of sketches and pictures, fragments and small strokes of genius, which Birgitta Flick has combined into a whole picture with her magnificent quartet. A snapshot of a rather peaceful, modest saxophonist, who will add a soothing, fresh color to the German jazz scene in the coming years.
Es ist ein Schritt in eine andere Richtung. Vorwärts, seitwärts, kurz inne halten und dann weiter. Aber auf keinen Fall zurück. Nach der ruhigen und weiten Atmosphäre der beiden Vorgängeralben „Yingying“ (DMCHR 71121) und „Dalarna“ (DMCHR 71170) , die einen explizit schwedischen Hintergrund hatten, bringt Birgitta Flick nun neue Farben ein, geht diesen auf den Grund und spielt mit ihnen. Zwar gibt es natürlich wieder Grau („Grey“), denn das passt irgendwie zu der nachdenklichen, in Neubrandenburg aufgewachsenen und in Berlin lebenden Tenorsaxofonistin. Sie tummelt sich aber auch gerne im „Yellow Room“, liebt das bunte Sammelsurium der „Pop Art“, jongliert mit den musikalischen Farbenschattierungen „Major and Minor“ (aus der Feder von Béla Bartók), überrascht mit einem „Happy Song“ („Momentan ist Glück für mich die Farbe Blau. Aber das kann sich in einem halben Jahr wieder ändern“) und geht all dem auf den Grund – „Color Studies“ eben. Ein Paradigmenwechsel für Birgitta Flick, der ihr und ihrer kongenialen Band um Schlagzeuger Max Andrzejewski, Pianist Andreas Schmidt und den neuen Bassisten James Banner die Möglichkeit gibt, sich als Klangmaler im besten Wortsinn zu präsentieren.

„Nach ´Dalarna`, das einem Forschungs- und Kompositionsprojekt mit einem klaren inhaltlichen Hintergrund entsprang, wollten wir uns einfach in einem freieren Raum bewegen, wollten improvisieren und die Summe unserer Inspirationen zusammenführen“, erklärt Birgitta Flick das Motiv ihrer Kollektivstudien. „Die Idee mit Farben, entstand eher zufällig, weil ich das Stück „Color Studies“ dabei hatte. Aber wir haben bald festgestellt, dass es das irgendwie ganz gut umschreibt.“ Denn Flick, Andrzejewski, Schmidt und Banner experimentieren mit den jeweiligen Kompositionen sowie ihrer melodischen und rhythmischen Struktur, um gemeinsam Musik aus und für den Augenblick zu kreieren.

Dabei erleben wir einmal mehr die erstaunliche Sogwirkung eines Quartetts, dieser kleinen, kompakten, unglaublich dynamischen Besetzungsform. Die Musiker müssen auf jeden Fall zueinander passen, die Freiheit ebenso lieben wie ihr Instrument beherrschen. Sie starten mit einem Minimum an Vorgaben und Informationen, verzahnen sich unweigerlich, gehen ineinander auf. „Da liegen Noten, und wir machen einfach was daraus“, bringt es Birgitta Flick auf den Punkt. Dabei entstehen ausschließlich Unikate, keine Blaupausen oder Wiederholungen, selbst in Konzerten. Alles kommt und verschwindet wieder (wenn es nicht aufgenommen wird, wie in diesem Fall). Deshalb finden sich auch jeweils zwei verschiedene Versionen von Bachs „Sarabande“, Flicks älterer, vielschichtiger Miniatur „Gespenster“ oder eben den „Color Studies“ auf dem Album, die sich von zwei gegensätzlichen Seiten her dem Thema nähern. Dazu kommen noch die Widmungen „Für Paul“, „Für Connie“ (zu Ehren der verstorbenen Pianistin Connie Crothers), „Line“, „Kor“ oder „H“, die Hommage von Andreas Schmidt für Thelonious Monk und Eric Dolphy („Molphy“), dessen „Art Pop“ sowie die Kollektivimprovisation „Ludus“. Vier Instrumentalisten, die sich auf engstem Raum begegnen, vier Gedankenströme, 16 Takes, spannend, einzigartig und packend.

Die „Color Studies“ entpuppen sich als eine Ansammlung von Skizzen und Bildern, Fragmenten und kleinen Geniestreichen, die Birgitta Flick mit ihrem famosen Quartett zu einem großen Ganzen zusammenfügt. Die Momentaufnahme einer eher stillen, bescheidenen Saxofonistin, die der deutschen Jazzszene in den kommenden Jahren eine wohltuend frische Farbe verpassen wird.

Artist(s)

Birgitta Flick (saxophone)

Birgitta Flick is a Berlin based improviser and composer. Educated as saxophonist at Jazz-Institut Berlin (UdK/HfM „Hanns Eisler“) and in composition at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm, she works internationally as a freelance musician with her own groups based in a.o. Berlin, Stockholm and New York City. As a sidewoman she works right now with e.g. Pål Nyberg's ensemble in Stockholm. As a composer she writes for her own groups as well as choir music and instrumental and vocal works for ensembles such as LUX:NM (DE) or Aulus Duo (GB). Since 2015 she serves as artistic director for the concert series InSpirit at Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtnis-Kirche in Berlin. Her artistic work is documented and presented on numerous CD and LP...
more
Birgitta Flick is a Berlin based improviser and composer. Educated as saxophonist at Jazz-Institut Berlin (UdK/HfM „Hanns Eisler“) and in composition at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm, she works internationally as a freelance musician with her own groups based in a.o. Berlin, Stockholm and New York City. As a sidewoman she works right now with e.g. Pål Nyberg's ensemble in Stockholm. As a composer she writes for her own groups as well as choir music and instrumental and vocal works for ensembles such as LUX:NM (DE) or Aulus Duo (GB). Since 2015 she serves as artistic director for the concert series InSpirit at Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtnis-Kirche in Berlin. Her artistic work is documented and presented on numerous CD and LP productions and has been supported by a.o. the Berlin senate, the country of Berlin/UdK, Initiative Musik gGmbH, Musikfonds, JazzBaltica Förderpreis and the Goethe-Institut.

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Composer(s)

Johann Sebastian Bach

Johann Sebastian Bach was a German composer and musician of the Baroque period. He enriched established German styles through his skill in counterpoint, harmonic and motivic organisation, and the adaptation of rhythms, forms, and textures from abroad, particularly from Italy and France. Bach's compositions include the Brandenburg Concertos, the Goldberg Variations, the Mass in B minor, two Passions, and hundreds of cantatas. His music is revered for its technical command, artistic beauty, and intellectual depth.  Bach's abilities as an organist were highly respected during his lifetime, although he was not widely recognised as a great composer until a revival of interest in and performances of his music in the first half of the 19th century. He is now generally regarded as one of the greatest composers of all time.  
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Johann Sebastian Bach was a German composer and musician of the Baroque period. He enriched established German styles through his skill in counterpoint, harmonic and motivic organisation, and the adaptation of rhythms, forms, and textures from abroad, particularly from Italy and France. Bach's compositions include the Brandenburg Concertos, the Goldberg Variations, the Mass in B minor, two Passions, and hundreds of cantatas. His music is revered for its technical command, artistic beauty, and intellectual depth.

Bach's abilities as an organist were highly respected during his lifetime, although he was not widely recognised as a great composer until a revival of interest in and performances of his music in the first half of the 19th century. He is now generally regarded as one of the greatest composers of all time.


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Béla Bartók

Next to Arnold Schoenberg and Igor Stravinsky, Béla Bartók was a third seminal innovator of European art music at the start of the twentieth century. Bartók, too, sought a way out of the deadlock of tonal music around 1900, and he found it in folk music. Initially, he tied in with the nationalistic tradition of Franz Liszt with his tone poem Kossuth, but eventually he found his own voice with the rediscovery of the music of Hungarian peasants. Together with Zoltán Kodály he was one of the first to apply the results of folkloric research into his own compositions. One major difference between him and composers of the 19th century, was that Bartók did not adjust to the system of tonality, but created...
more
Next to Arnold Schoenberg and Igor Stravinsky, Béla Bartók was a third seminal innovator of European art music at the start of the twentieth century. Bartók, too, sought a way out of the deadlock of tonal music around 1900, and he found it in folk music. Initially, he tied in with the nationalistic tradition of Franz Liszt with his tone poem Kossuth, but eventually he found his own voice with the rediscovery of the music of Hungarian peasants. Together with Zoltán Kodály he was one of the first to apply the results of folkloric research into his own compositions. One major difference between him and composers of the 19th century, was that Bartók did not adjust to the system of tonality, but created his own musical idiom from folk music. Because of this, his composition style was flexible to other musical trends, without having to violate his own view points. For example, his two Violin sonates come close to Schoenberg's free expressionism, and after 1926 his music started to show neoclassicistic tendencies, comparable to Stravinsky's music. Bartók was not just interested in Hungarian folk music, but could appreciate musical folklore from all of the Balkan, Turkey and North-Africa as well.
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Birgitta Flick (saxophone)

Birgitta Flick is a Berlin based improviser and composer. Educated as saxophonist at Jazz-Institut Berlin (UdK/HfM „Hanns Eisler“) and in composition at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm, she works internationally as a freelance musician with her own groups based in a.o. Berlin, Stockholm and New York City. As a sidewoman she works right now with e.g. Pål Nyberg's ensemble in Stockholm. As a composer she writes for her own groups as well as choir music and instrumental and vocal works for ensembles such as LUX:NM (DE) or Aulus Duo (GB). Since 2015 she serves as artistic director for the concert series InSpirit at Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtnis-Kirche in Berlin. Her artistic work is documented and presented on numerous CD and LP...
more
Birgitta Flick is a Berlin based improviser and composer. Educated as saxophonist at Jazz-Institut Berlin (UdK/HfM „Hanns Eisler“) and in composition at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm, she works internationally as a freelance musician with her own groups based in a.o. Berlin, Stockholm and New York City. As a sidewoman she works right now with e.g. Pål Nyberg's ensemble in Stockholm. As a composer she writes for her own groups as well as choir music and instrumental and vocal works for ensembles such as LUX:NM (DE) or Aulus Duo (GB). Since 2015 she serves as artistic director for the concert series InSpirit at Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtnis-Kirche in Berlin. Her artistic work is documented and presented on numerous CD and LP productions and has been supported by a.o. the Berlin senate, the country of Berlin/UdK, Initiative Musik gGmbH, Musikfonds, JazzBaltica Förderpreis and the Goethe-Institut.

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Press

A beautiful album with beautiful compositions and a superior playing quartet and the name Birgitta Flick is one to remember!
Rootstime, 02-11-2018

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