Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Ensemble 5: The Summary Of 4

Ensemble 5: The Summary Of 4

By Mark Corroto
April 21, 2014
View read count

It is refreshing to hear a free jazz improvising group that doesn't abandon meter and melody for the goal of spontaneous music making. For percussionist

Heinz Geisser

drums

" data-original-title="" title="">Heinz Geisser, performing improvised music doesn't require he throw the figurative baby out with the bath water. The dude abides.

Like the Collective 4tet he established in the 1990s with bassist

William Parker

bass
b.1952

" data-original-title="" title="">William Parker, Ensemble 5 is both a free jazz vehicle and a quartet, yes, a quartet. Geisser, a conservatory trained classical guitarist turned self-taught drummer is the fomenter of this outfit that includes bassist Fridolin Blumer, Reto Staub (piano), and Robert Morgenthaler (trombone). The '5' indicates these four often perform with a guest artist, as we are told in the liner notes, prior to this studio session they had returned from a tour of Japan. The 5 also symbolizes the synergistic resonance of four players engaged in the creation of something new.

The blundering walk of the opening track "Layers" flows into a floodplain of stacked notes: piano runs, trombone blasts, and deep bass palpitations. Geisser oversees the affair with the batter and scuttle of his drum kit. The ensemble excels at the cavalier musical comment that often comes in unsuspected moments. Their keen listening affords this nonchalance, either in the minimalist improvisation of "Out Of Bounds" or the hand-claps and shouts of "Mother Earth," where the quartet occupies a blues demeanor bursting with conspicuous shenanigans. The title track develops in an organic and coherent, yet unstructured gambol of note churning energy, each player pushing the animation. The freedom Ensemble 5 exhibits a freedom to make music, real music.

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

Layers; Out Of Bounds; For Good; Mother Earth; The Summary Of 4; Ecgoes; Here And Now; Equilibrium.

Personnel

Heinz Geisser

drums

Heinz Geisser: percussion; Fridolin Blumer: double bass; Reto Staub: piano; Robert Morgenthaler: trombone.

Album information

Title: The Summary Of 4 | Year Released: 2014 | Record Label: Leo Records

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Jiyoung Lee: Snobs, Addicts & Royalt...
< Previous

Chick Corea At Town Hall
Next >

Heinz Geisser Concerts

Oct 16 Thu

Blumer – Dell – Geisser – Morgenthaler

Loft
Cologne, Germany

Support All About Jazz

All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.