MUSE (vinyl)

Description

All or nothing! No half measures! Where many artists tire of the routine that creeps into their careers, trombonist N. Wogram approaches each new project as if it were his very first. This constantly renewed momentum is particularly noticeable on his new CD 'Muse', recorded with harpist K. Pechlof, violist and overtone singer G. Lubbe, and Wogram's longtime companion, H. Chisholm, on saxophone. But why start over with a brand new group? Indeed, the trombonist has already explored everything a jazz musician could dream of with groups like Root 70, Nostalgia, or the Vertigo Trombone Qtet, as well as alongside A. Takase, S. Nabatov, Bojan Z, M. Portal, and many others. The answer is both simple and complex: because N. Wogram cannot help but succumb to his insatiable artistic curiosity and his desire to know what destiny still holds for him, regardless of all he has already accomplished. Thus, in 'Muse', everything is completely different from what N. Wogram and his associates have accustomed us to. The only constant remains H. Chisholm, a musician who has unreservedly shared the trombonist's obsessions for decades. He always supports him, not only musically, but above all humanly – despite Wogram's tendency to take risks. Wogram has already played with Berlin-based K. Pechlof and South African G. Lubbe in different projects, but an artistic gathering like that of 'Muse' has never existed before and probably has no equivalent in the history of music in general. This absolutely unprecedented lineup is all the more motivating for the visionary trombonist. Indeed, the latter never seeks for the sole pleasure of seeking. His goal is to 'find', to make the impossible possible, and to make the unheard audible, without any compromise. N. Wogram's music has always been characterized by its great sensuality. Until now, he has celebrated the sensuality of the moment in almost all his projects, but on 'Muse', it is the sensuality of what remains that comes to the fore. The permanence of form contributes greatly to the chamber music impression that emanates from this constellation. The warm sounds sometimes recall the hues of the frozen portraits in A. Modigliani's still lifes. To stay with the image, the album's compositions can be visualized not as the movement of a leaf carried away by a gust of wind, but rather as a stationary object (a simple vase, for example) which, once touched by light, sublimates the surrounding decor. In ancient mythology, the muse is a character who embodies the divine principle of creation and transmits it to humans. There are countless stories about great artists and their muses. N. Wogram, K. Pechlof, H. Chisholm, and G. Lubbe, however, do not need a personified source of inspiration to unite in the service of the muse of music. Their wordless sound poems are imbued with poetry and demonstrate above all that only the first step truly counts!