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N E W S L E T T E R # 25

THOMAS BORGMANN’S ORKESTRA - Kith’n Kin (Cadence 1081)
I’ve come to know Borgmann’s sax playing only in the last few years-from his few visits to NYC-a great trio with Peter Brotzmann & Borah Bergman was one such gig (and cd).

This here cd features tentet of some of the finest Euro improvisers-Hans Reichel (on guitar & daxophone), Lol Coxhill (soprano sax) & Dietmar Diesner (soprano, alto), Pat Thomas (piano & electronics), Mark Sanders (drums) plus five other Euro cats that I’m unfamiliar with.

This entire first piece (one hour) develops very organically, instead of being a free-jazz blow fest throughout, there are moments of magical chaos balanced with many amazing solos and free-but-connected ensemble passages.

The 5 man sax section is what gives this group its unique sound-2 sopraninos, 2 sopranos and a gargantuan bass sax!! Coxhill, Diesner & Borgmann all play outstanding sax solos, as does the bass saxist.

Who really stands out the most is of course Hans Reichel on daxophone (a self-made bowed wood instrument) which sounds like the spirits of wood given voice and Pat Thomas on dense piano excursions.

The piece opens with a Braxton-like ghost trance off balanced repetition and even goes through some Brotherhood of Breath-like hypnotic jazz/funk riffs.
Not to be missed!