James Choice Orchestra – Live at Moers (CD3020)

Twenty-three musicians, four composers and three festival days. The James Choice Orchestra is a big improvisers’ orchestra from the Cologne scene, and at the Moers Festival 2005 it was given a rare opportunity: to perform on three days in a row. This CD collects the best of those concerts, recorded on May 14–16, 2005 in the Kammermusiksaal Moers.

Each of the four pieces was written specially for the orchestra, and each has its own character. Carl Ludwig Hübsch’s“Floating Fragments” opens the album with drifting, shifting textures. Norbert Stein’s “Berichte aus der neuen Stadt” (“Reports from the New City”) tells stories in sound. The centrepiece is Frank Gratkowski’s 30-minute “Choice III”, dedicated to the poet Thomas Kling, with words by Kling, where the huge ensemble breaks down into small, intense groups. To finish, Matthias Schubert’s “Manico con la mia” brings in elements of theatre and dance. The music combines written composition, free improvisation, voices and electronics, with a richness of timbre only a large ensemble can offer.

The line-up is a who’s who of the German and international improvised music scene, including Frank Gratkowski, Thomas Heberer, Sebastian Gramss, Scott Fields, Philip Zoubek, synthesizer pioneer Thomas Lehn and tuba player Melvyn Poore. Released on Moers Music. When you buy here, you’re buying directly from the label, and we only sell originals.

The Side Story

The idea of an “orchestra” of improvisers goes back to the Jazz Composers Orchestra of the 1960s. In Europe in particular, the creative orchestra has been explored again and again, from the Globe Unity Orchestra to the Vienna Art Orchestra. The James Choice Orchestra continues that tradition. Bringing together large international orchestras is expensive, but with the wealth of talent in Cologne, an outstanding ensemble was right there.

Many of the musicians have links to other Moers releases. Synthesizer player Thomas Lehn played in Günter Christmann’s ensemble Vario (Christmann’s Sometimes Crosswise is CD2094). Trumpeter Thomas Heberer has worked with sound artist Frank Schulte (Switchbox, CD3008). Bassist Sebastian Gramss returned to the Moers label years later with his project States of Play. The album was produced by Hans-Martin Müller and Moers founder Burkhard Hennen.

Tracklist

1. Floating Fragments (Carl Ludwig Hübsch) – 20:56

2. Berichte aus der neuen Stadt (Norbert Stein) – 14:10

3. Choice III – dedicated to Thomas Kling (Frank Gratkowski; words: Thomas Kling) – 29:57

4. Manico con la mia (Matthias Schubert) – 12:49

Total running time: approx. 78 minutes

Personnel

• Frank Gratkowski – alto saxophone, clarinet, composition

• Matthias Schubert – tenor saxophone, composition

• Norbert Stein – tenor saxophone, composition

• Niels Klein – tenor saxophone, clarinet

• Annette Maye – clarinet, bass clarinet

• Matthias Mainz, Stephan Meinberg, Thomas Heberer, Udo Moll – trumpet

• Matthias Muche, Nicolao Valiensi – trombone

• Carl Ludwig Hübsch – tuba/trombone, composition

• Melvyn Poore – tuba

• Radek Stawarz – violin

• Scott Roller – cello

• Sebastian Gramss – double bass

• Scott Fields – guitar

• Philip Zoubek – piano

• Tom Lorenz – vibraphone

• Thomas Lehn – synthesizer

• Joe Hertenstein – drums

• Barbara Schachtner, Isis Krüger – voice

Details

• Format: CD

• Label: Moers Music

• Catalog no.: CD3020

• Recorded: Live, May 14–16, 2005, Kammermusiksaal Moers (Moers Festival)

• Producers: Hans-Martin Müller, Burkhard Hennen

• Price: €14.00