Oracle

Description

The musical friendship between Swiss saxophonist Co Streiff and American trumpeter Russ Johnson, which developed through various musical collaborations, dates back to 2004. Their experiences — Streiff as the leader of various groups and through her work with pianist Irène Schweizer; Johnson, who has played with almost everyone in New York — are the best aspect of intercultural exchange. “In 2012, the quartet released their exceptional debut album In Circles, capturing a shared aesthetic for keyboardless quartets dating back to Gerry Mulligan and Chet Baker, and especially Ornette Coleman and Don Cherry. Several annual European tours followed over the next few years, followed by a long break. The musicians reunited in 2019, with Gerry Hemingway on drums, and as heard on Oracle, recorded during different stops on the group’s 2023 tour, the revamped lineup had found its groove,” writes Peter Margasak in the liner notes. For such musical heights to be possible, common ground is necessary — and here, that foundation has been strengthened by more than 20 years of continuous collaboration.