A Lot of No’s for One Yes

In modern jazz, the reduced dialogue format of the sax and drums duo may not be common, but it’s not unusual. Since it has gotten rid of everything but the bare essentials and doesn’t split itself into front man and sideman, it has no choice but to rely on complete equality. Otherwise there wouldn’t be a basis for dialogue. If one of the musicians tries to take the lead over the other, it doesn’t work. Important for this smallest possible chance of shifting from “me” to “we” are: finding suitable material or a starting point for musical conversation; keeping an open mind; creating meaningful musical statements; playing together with mutual respect. If we look back in history, worth noting are such exemplary jazz duos as John Coltrane and Rashied Ali or Archie Shepp and Max Roach, with such duos as Anthony Braxton and Andrew Cyrille, Ellery Eskelin and Han Bennink, or Tobias Delius and Christian Lillinger continuing the dialogue in ever new variation to this day.

The saxophonist Christopher Kunz and the drummer Florian Fischer know these exemplary recordings well. Both of them are highly trained musicians in their late twenties. Both are the leaders of their own bands and have already received prestigious awards. Both feel deeply rooted in the jazz tradition and are looking for ways to break down restrictive boundaries and create their own forms of expression through vital collaborations in the fields of new music, theatre, performance or visual arts. Three years ago they started the innovative duo Die Unwucht, but they are fully aware that the only way to keep it relevant is by introducing new facets, approaches, and perspectives to what is already out there, in short: by giving it their own style.

The name, Die Unwucht (Engl.: imbalance), which may at first glance seem odd, already tells us that the collaboration is not about a pre-produced something that runs smoothly and without glitches and has an aseptic, squeaky-clean feel to it. Rather, it is precisely the frictions, small disturbances, and “imbalances” in a perfectly constructed machine that add zest to their music. In their spontaneous recordings, which are first takes, Christopher Kunz and Florian Fischer do not rely on compositions and standard sequences. They just mike their instruments and start playing, whatever comes to mind and whatever comes their way, a thunderstorm, for example. Sometimes you might even think you can hear it on the CD.

This music created in puristic reduction is difficult to grasp at first, but gradually the beauty becomes more logical. Groove here means a delicate pulse carved with stunning clarity. This purely acoustic music has its centre with events meandering around it, an almost somnambulistic flow that is kept going by an intricately sculpted beat, which is as forceful as it is subtle and unpredictable despite all its logic. The tenor saxophone moves above and within this detailed drumming with an earthy, full, voluminous, completely laconic tone. Sometimes you might think you can hear Stan Getz from afar.

Neither musician has to be dominant to prove that he has something to say. Instead of trying to outdo each other, they develop a compelling, very soulful world of their own. In the history of jazz they are two more rhapsodists continuing the tradition, while changing the context of the stories and thus making them plausible. What is amazing is their calm maturity that does completely without the frills of electronics. Dense and compact but at the same time transparent and delicate the music progresses dramatically in alternating waves. No one wants to dominate the other when two individualists join forces. These recordings strike a different tone than we’re used to in a world of constant clicking and zapping. This tone is of an impressive intensity which is always gentle and never bossy.

It may take “a lot of No’s before you get a Yes”, Christopher Kunz learned from his mentor Steffen Schorn. In this respect, the two musicians also know exactly what they don’t want. With self-discipline, integrity and a high level of awareness they create together their acoustic images between undogmatic challenge and unexpected beauty.

Ulrich Steinmetzger
(translation: Friederike Kulcsar)