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Frank Gratkowski Quartet: Le Vent et la Gorge

By Glenn Astarita
January 16, 2013
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Frank Gratkowski Quartet: Le Vent et la Gorge

Multi-reedman Frank Gratkowski is a shrewd operator from almost all conceivable angles. And on Le Vent et la Gorge, the stylizations of drummer

Gerry Hemingway

drums
b.1955

" data-original-title="" title="">Gerry Hemingway's fabled quartet weave in and out of the full spectrum. Of course, this component is factored in by the drummer's appearance along with Hemingway's longtime band-mate, Dutch trombonist

Wolter Wierbos

trombone
b.1957

" data-original-title="" title="">Wolter Wierbos, lending his wares as well. Ultimately, it's Gratkowski's hyper-inventive mindset that elevates this program towards its zenith, especially considering similar 2012 releases by others.

The quartet seamlessly bridges modern classical with the avant-garde jazz strata from a structural and improvisational platform. It also engages in some fun and frolic. At times, the leader swashes a path of destruction via boisterous sax choruses, but uncannily conveys a hidden beauty of sorts while doing so. When dishing out off-center rhythms, the band also executes fractured jazz-funk vamps amid Wierbos' ravaging solo spots. Add a few rather bewildering microtonal exercises and the set is literally a wide-ranging study in disparate contrasts and accentuates the musicians' cunning interactions.

The seventeen-minute "Le Vent et la Gorge" is a mind-boggling incursion, where the quartet imparts a nip and tuck pulse and enacts a tightrope-like balancing act as a suspenseful aura hovers above the proceedings. Here, Gratkowski's eerie sax overtones offset the alternating momentum. However, the group switches gears as Hemingway's dainty percussion grooves help transform matters into a near hypnotic state. The soloists explore multiple tonal ranges, abetted by Gratkowski's use of bass clarinet and acting as a mediator during a bit of band-induced angst. Moving forward, the quartet's turbulent shifts in tempo transform into punchy, odd-metered detours—a signature stylization of Hemingway's timekeeping mechanics. A magnum opus, Le Vent et la Gorge complements the quartet's multilateral tactics as an album that looms as one of Gratkowski's crowning achievements.

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Track Listing

Harm-oh-nie; Le Vent et la Gorge; Lied/Song; GO!; The Flying Dutchman.

Personnel

Frank Gratkowski

saxophone

Frank Gratkowski: alto saxophone, clarinet, bass and contrabass clarinet, composition; Wolter Wierbos: trombone; Dieter Manderscheid: double bass; Gerry Hemingway: drums.

Album information

Title: Le Vent et la Gorge | Year Released: 2013 | Record Label: Leo Records

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