Marco von Orelli 5 – Alluring Prospect

Marco von Orelli trumpet, composition
Lukas Briggen trombone
Michel Wintsch piano, synthesizer, compositon
Kaspar von Grünigen doublebass, compostion
Samuel Dühsler drums

–

All compostition by Marco von Orelli, except Ayako by Michel Wintsch & Boat People by Kaspar von Grünigen (SUISA)
Recorded: February 19th – 22nd 2013 by Joaquim Monte at Studio Namouche, Lisbon
Mixed by Michel Wintsch & Marco von Orelli at Xylème Studio | CD Master by Peter Pfister
Released March 2015 by HAT HUT Records Ltd., hatOLOGY 726

Reviews

MARCO VON ORELLI 5, ALLURING PROSPECT by citizenjazz

Si Close Ties on Hidden Lanes, son précédent disque en sextet chez HatHut, en disait long sur
l’efficacité de son écriture, si sa participation ancienne au Root Down de Tommy Meier
l’a consacré comme l’un des trompettistes les plus en vue sur la scène helvétique, c’est en compagnie
du guitariste Luis Lopes au sein du Big Bold Black Bone que Marco Von Orelli s’est imposé sur
les écrans radar européens. Est-ce cette fructueuse collaboration qui a conduit à ce
« Prolog – Lisboa Days » qui ouvre ce nouvel album par un solo chaleureux ?
Le natif de Bâle mène depuis plus de quinze ans une carrière qui se partage entre musique écrite
et improvisation, comme en témoigne Alluring Prospect, paru cette fois-ci en quintet sur
le fameux label à tranche orange.

Cette baisse d’effectif n’est pas qu’une simple réduction de voilure ; en se passant de la clarinette basse
de Lukas Roos, le trompettiste recentre son propos sur le noyau que constitue sa relation avec
le tromboniste Lukas Briggen et surtout le pianiste Michel Wintsch, récemment remarqué pour
son solo Roof Fool, également chez HatHut [1]. C’est tout l’enjeu de « Monte Verità » où les trois
compères bataillent avec intensité, portés par la contrebasse attentive de Kaspar Von Grüningen.
Les deux soufflants se lancent notamment dans une discussion exclusive qui marque le propos
très contemporain d’une couleur influencée par la seconde école de Vienne.

On retrouve également la complémentarité de ce noyau dur sur le très abstrait « Triptychon »
que les grésillements électroniques du synthétiseur de Wintsch teintent d’une atmosphère assez
complexe. La trame du morceau se révèle très braxtonienne, notamment lorsque le clavier se
fond dans les sifflements métalliques des cymbales de Samuel Dühsler. On retrouvera,
dans le long morceau « Vita », une direction similaire où Von Orelli trouve en son pianiste
un interlocuteur incontournable, ponctué par le jeu d’embouchure du tromboniste.
Le résumé idéal d’un album qui s’appuie largement sur cette relation privilégiée de solistes
remarquables et consacre de nouveau la Suisse comme un creuset intarissable.

par Franpi Barriaux // Publié le 24 avril 2016

Marco von Orelli 5: Alluring Prospect

* * * *

By ALBERTO BAZZURRO, March 24, 2016 all.about.jazz

Teniamo d’occhio da un po’ di anni lo svizzero (di Basilea, per l’esattezza) Marco von Orelli,
e dobbiamo dire che ogni volta che incrociamo qualche sua nuova incisione (di ascoltarlo dalle nostre parti,
malgrado la sostanziale vicinanza, non se ne parla) la conferma del suo talento è pronta e convincente.

Quest’ultimo lavoro in quintetto (formazione minima, diremmo, per dar voce alle sue doti di autore
e—diciamo così—metteur en musique in senso lato) non fa eccezione. Intanto lo affiancano musicisti certamente
dotati (il più noto è il pianista ginevrino Michel Wintsch, a sua volta leader di notevoli potenzialità),
ma è comunque l’impianto globale (la struttura, la spina dorsale) a risultare quanto mai solido e vivifico.

Vi si ritrova quel fare vagamente cameristico che da sempre contraddistingue la musica di Orelli,
il nitore nell’intersecarsi delle voci, la costante puntualità e pulizia timbrica, l’incedere incruento (almeno di regola)
ma non per questo estenuato o vacuamente estetizzante, la non ovvietà, l’articolazione dei tracciati
pur entro una coerenza estetica stringente.

Ci sono episodi solitari (proprio la tromba di Orelli nell’iniziale “Prolog—Lisboa Day,”
o il prologo pianistico in “Monte Verità”) e altri decisamente vociferanti, qua e là di segno contrappuntistico,
qualche pennellata elettronica, intercapedini minimal che d’improvviso si accendono.
È quanto accade per esempio in “Boat People,” unico episodio, con “Ayako,” non a firma del leader
(il primo è del contrabbassista von Grünigen, il secondo di Wintsch), cui segue il conclusivo “Vita,” ampio affresco
(oltre un quarto d’ora) a tratti persino tumultuoso, per quanto sempre sorvegliato (e comunque in
decrescendo finale), che chiude un album ancora una volta maiuscolo.

Track Listing: Prolog – Lisboa Days; Ayako; Monte Verità; Ghost Dance; Triptychon; Boat People; Vita.

Personnel: Marco von Orelli: tromba; Lukas Briggen: trombone; Michel Wintsch: pianoforte, sintetizzatore;
Kasper von Grünigen: contrabbasso; Samuel Dühsler: batteria.

Year Released: 2015 | Record Label: Hatology

Marco von Orelli 5, Alluring Prospect by hatOLOGY 726

February 21, 2016

Downsizing obviously isn’t an expletive for Basel-based trumpeter Marco von Orelli since he keeps
shrinking his band. Starting as a nine-piece, the ensemble first recorded as a sextet, is a quintet on this
disc and is now operating as a trio with bassist Kasper von Grüningen and drummer Samuel Dühsler,
both of whom acquit themselves admirably here. But like the hoary aphorism that asks “how much is too much”
the intercommunication exhibited here suggests that four may work as well as three and perhaps better than five.

Before tuning this into a tract on numerology the explanation is that part of the appeal of Alluring Prospect
comes from the brass contrast and tonal adherence that occurs between von Orelli’s often resilient puffs
and peeps and the blustery umber tones from trombonist Lukas Briggen, also a member of the
Lucerne Jazz Orchestra. Pianist/synthesizer player Michael Wintsch, who also composed one of the
two non-von Orelli originals on the disc – von Gruningen wrote the other –, has his own in bands such as
the WHO trio with Gerry Hemingway. Like a sous chef so sophisticated in the creation of his signature
dishes that his spice wizardry upsets the master chefs preparations, the undertow from Wintsch’s juddering
synth processing and sophisticated pianism are notable on their own, but detract from establishing a group
identity.

The rasping riffing that characterizes the Briggen-von Orelli partnership however is expressed throughout;
even furrowing a groove in their individual reactions to the pianist’s “Ayako”. This same synthesis, spelled by
tremolo piano lines and impacts that appear to caress the keys more than press them, is displayed on the
extended “Vita”. This particular curriculum vitae proclaims that this combination of the trombonist’s rubbery
plunger slurps and muted trumpet smears create an individual identity within the strictures and structures of
European Jazz.

Instructively von Orelli extends this EuroJazz concept even further. Matching machine oscillations and trumpet
pecks for instance lead to a baroque-like brass overlay with positioned ratamacues and some vibrating piano
asides on “Boat People. The same sort of set up materializes on “Ghost Dance”, which rather than being singularly
transparent is instead the most consistent instance of group identity. Imbuing his trumpet tone with a pre-modern lilt,
von Orelli piles peeps, plops and pauses woodpile-like on top of one another until von Grüningen’s triple stopping
and nerve beats and cymbals slaps from Dühsler bring out a full-fledged swing section leading to a satisfyingly
tight ending.

Von Orelli’s modulations and motivations coupled with the others’ playing confirm why listening to this CD is in itself
an alluring prospect. The added anticipation rests in wondering at what size the group will next record and what it
will produce.

—Ken Waxman for JazzWord

Marco von Orelli 5: “Alluring Prospect” (Hatology)

Rui Eduardo Paes, 11 de Janeiro de 2016

O trompetista suíço Marco von Orelli tem uma ligação a Portugal, e esta ganhou expressão como
projecto Big Bold Back Bone, no qual participam dois músicos nacionais, Luís Lopes e Travassos.
Essa conexão é salientada logo na abertura do segundo álbum do músico no catálogo da prestigiada
Hatology (colecção integrada na mais ampla Hat Hut), com o evocativo “Lisboa Days”.
Não se fica, no entanto, por aí: a gravação foi realizada na capital portuguesa, e designadamente no
Namouche de Joaquim Monte. Com o apoio do trombonista Lukas Briggen, do pianista Michel Wintsch
e dos ritmistas Kaspar von Grungen (contrabaixo) e Samuel Dunsler (bateria), o que vem em “Alluring
Prospect” merece com toda a propriedade a designação de “jazz progressivo”, e isso porque congemina
uma visão pós-modernista (mas sóbria, como convém acrescentar) do jazz em que vão emergindo
recursos linguísticos provenientes de um certo rock de dimensão “arty” e da música contemporânea.

Se os luso-transalpinos BBBB optam liminarmente pela improvisação, a escrita é neste disco o eixo e o
zénite de todos os acontecimentos. Uma escrita elaborada, com mais substância do que qualquer coisa que
tivesse sido urdida para proporcionar solos improvisados, mas que nunca chega a ser maneirista pelo facto
de cada fórmula, cada ideia, ter uma razão de ser e uma lógica interna. Não complica por complicar, é, e no
que é não há contradição alguma com o lado “groovy” por onde os temas passam, introduzido pelo
sintetizador daquele que é – como repetidamente aqui se confirma – um dos mais interessantes pianistas
europeus da actualidade, e continuado por Grungen e Dunsler. Ou seja, se está nestas faixas, sem dúvida,
um jazz intelectualizado, o dito sabe gingar e divertir-se, seduzindo-nos os ouvidos.

Marco von Orelli 5 – Alluring Prospect

Hathut Records – 51:26

Net als het bergpad op de hoes zit de muziek van de Zwitserse trompettist vol verraderlijkheden.
Steeds zijn er kleine verschuivingen in het tempo, in de melodische lijnen of de harmonie.
Hoewel dat soms naar al te nadrukkelijk compliceren neigt, roepen die oneffenheden veelal ook een
prettige spanning op. Von Orelli heeft bovendien een uitgelezen club musici bijeengebracht die kunnen
improviseren met behoud van klankkleur en harmonisch raffinement. Dat is alleszins geen toeval,
want Von Orelli heeft duidelijke ideeën over de relatie tussen compositie en improvisatie.
Opnieuw heeft Hathut een cd het licht doen zien waarvan alleen al de liner notes de aanschaf
rechtvaardigen. Als componist probeert Von Orelli de maximale reikwijdte uit de bezetting te halen.
Toetsenist Michael Wintsch wisselt piano en synthesizer af, bassist Kaspar von Grüningen pakt
herhaaldelijk de strijkstok erbij en trombonist Lukas Briggen begeeft zich steeds daar waar Von Orelli
op trompet juist niet is, neemt de demper als Von Orelli vol gas geeft, kiest laag wanneer deze omhoog
gaat en vice versa. Het is allemaal zo intelligent gedaan dat je als luisteraar soms heimelijk naar wat meer
banaliteit en humor verlangt. Er zijn niettemin voldoende momenten waarop Alluring Prospect
van leven bruist en de ingenieuze vondsten fonkelen.

oktober 27, 2015, Mischa Andriessen

.POINTCULTURE

ALLURING PROSPECT
Marco VON ORELLI 5

Entre écriture et improvisation. Marco Von Orelli le petit dernier lancé par le label de référence Hatology.
Très très bon ! (BB)

Enregistré au Studio Namouche à Lisbonne, du 19 au 22 février 2013.

Títol: Alluring Prospects
Autor: Marco von Orelli
Intèrprets: Marco von Orelli, trumpet; Lukas Briggen, trombone; Michael Wintsch, piano, synthesizer; Kasper von Gruningen, double bass; Samuel Duhsler, drums.
Segell discogràfic: HatOLOGY

Músic, compositor i improvisador. El trompetista suís Marco von Orelli continua presentant projectes de gran nivell
i la improvisació està al centre del seu univers. Alluring Prospects, plena d’idees potents, és la narració musical de la seva polivalent personalitat. És extremadament rigorós i en el seu tènue lirisme hi aflora una austeritat sonora, apassionant i d’una imaginació fecunda. En aquest disc, una nova mostra més de la seva creació, sempre innovadora, l’acompanyen músics que saben entendre l’immens i complex món interior d’Orelli. Des del pròleg, Lisboa Days, fins a la darrera peça, Vita, van sorgint petites idees emmarcades en un de jazz progressiu que els cinc músics desenvolupen per mitjà de fascinants estratègies d’improvisació per crear una mena d’ecosistema sonor, cosa que encaixa a la perfecció amb la tradició del segell discogràfic de Werner X. Uehlinger.
Lukas Briggen, Michael Wintsch, Samuel Dühsler i Kasper von Gruningen creen amb naturalitat aquelles relacions subterrànies en què la relació entre ritme i la melodia és màgica. La immediatesa i la llibertat dels seus llenguatges arrabassen, a vegades, la tranquil·litat, i tot seguit, són capaços d’erigir els moments més plàcids que ningú es pugui imaginar. Perspectives de fascinació, el títol, en aquest sentit, no podia ser més explícit, perquè planteja la llibertat com un factor important per resoldre qualsevol debat sonor que s’origini al llarg de l’enregistrament. I és així, perquè el quintet roman en una activitat interpretativa que va evolucionant i que no ens permet preveure, en cap cas, el seu desenvolupament. Aquesta llibertat de la qual parlem, es transforma en una plaent sincronia d’idees, de sons, de tempos i de contrastos que entenen que la interacció es un element fonamental per improvisar música.

29 setembre, 2015 per Marçal Borotau a Hat Hut Records

Basellandschaftliche Zeitung, 15. Juni 15
BZ 15.6.15

Jazzpodium – Juni 2015

Jazzpodium Mai 15

Jazz’n’More Nr. 3 – 2015

MvO5:JnM-nr.3-15

Weltwoche Nr. 17 – 23. April 2015
von Peter Rüedi

NZZ am Sonntag – 19. April 2015

Jazz

Kompromisslos

Marco von Orelli 5: Alluring Prospect. Hat Hut Records 726.

Der junge Trompeter und Komponist Marco von Orelli ist uns 2012 erstmals aufgefallen. Der aus Basel stammende Musiker, der in Winterthur, Zürich und seiner Heimatstadt studiert hat, publizierte damals auf Hat Hut sein Debütalbum «Close Ties on Hidden Lanes». Die Sextett-Aufnahme bewegte sich zwischen Jazz, Neuer Musik und freier Improvisation. Das Erbe von Ellington und Mingus war so präsent wie die Zwölftonmusik. In verschiedenen Formationen hatte der Trompeter bereits zuvor sein Talent bewiesen: in der Big Band von George Gruntz etwa, aber auch in Tommy Meiers «Root Down». Nun legt er sein zweites Album als Leader vor. Aus dem Sextett ist ein Quintett geworden. Ausgeschieden ist der Bassklarinettist Lukas Roos. Auf den übrigen Positionen ist alles beim Alten: Lukas Briggen spielt Posaune, Michel Wintsch Klavier, Kaspar von Grünigen Bass und Samuel Dühsler Schlagzeug. Die Kompositionen – fünf von sieben hat der Leader selbst geschrieben – sind kompakter geworden. Sie reflektieren Erlebnisse und Bildungsgut der Musiker – von Katzen über Geister bis zum Monte Verità -, sind aber nicht Programmmusik im engen Sinn. Kompromisse an den Publikumsgeschmack werden keine gemacht. Es geht um Exerzitien, nicht um Kulinarik. Hübsche Vignette: Peter Margasak behauptet im Booklet zur CD keck, «Triptychon» sei Schweizerdeutsch für «Triptych». (pap.)

http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=50287

Marco von Orelli 5: Alluring Prospect (2015), hatOLOGY 726

****

By GLENN ASTARITA, Published: April 9, 2015

Swiss trumpeter Marco von Orelli possesses a manifold musical persona. He’s composed for TV, theater and collaborates with many notable European jazz artists and improvisers. But as a leader, Alluring Prospects poses deep insight into his enthralling compositional pen, bridging classical, jazz and the improvisational element into multilateral array of largely, energizing frameworks.
With slight doses of classical austerity amid twisting choruses and stately themes, the ensemble also executes concise unison lines with asymmetrical infusions of loose groove improv, embedded within these complex arrangements. For example, on “Ghost Dance, von Orelli’s muted phrasings summon notions of pathos, countered by trombonist Lukas Briggen’s flickering passages, leading to frothy call and response episodes. But they seamlessly transform the progressive jazz undercurrent with a spunky rock pulse via a horde of chameleonic changes.
Estimable Swiss pianist and solo artist Michel Wintsch adds subtle synthesizer lines into various movements as he complements and retorts the hornists’ clamorous thematic segments, tempered with wit and whimsy. At times the band gets a bit rowdy with terse statements and a profusion of contrasting improvisational encounters, synchronized with sinuous explorations. On the final track “Vita,” Wintsch’s simmering synth riffs and otherworldly treatments interconnect his band-mates’ rugged developments. Here, the soloists are opposing forces engaging in battle. Yet they temper the pace and embark upon numerous modes of reinvention. Indeed, von Orelli is an active mind on the loose, evidenced on his second album for the Switzerland-based hatOLOGY record label. And his multifaceted arrangements present a loaded deck that tenders a 360-view of von Orelli’s impressive talents and forward-looking vision.

Track Listing:
Prolog – Lisboa Days; Ayako; Monte Verita; Ghost Dance; Triptychon; Boat People; Vita.
Personnel:
Marco von Orelli: trumpet; Lukas Briggen: trombone; Michael Wintsch: piano, synthesizer;
Kasper von Grünigen: double bass; Samuel Duhsler: drums.