Album Release «Labyrinth II»
Nicole Johänntgen
JazzGroove Jazz
Nicole Johänntgen – with dance and depth into the labyrinth
«Labyrinth II» is the studio sequel to this trio's first album by saxophonist Nicole Johänntgen, which was recorded in the radio studios in Basel in 2023: a richly designed work that simultaneously reveals depth and danceable moments.
An unusual line-up
At her side in the current trio are the American tuba player Jon Hansen and the Swiss drummer and percussionist David Stauffacher, a globetrotter who has enriched his craft with study trips to Cuba, Brazil and Senegal. These three extraordinary personalities came together for a unique live set in the Basel radio studio in 2023 and the desire for more was born. The two musicians and the bandleader spent months working on the thirteen new songs before recording them at the end of July 2024 under the direction of Hansen at the Be-Jazz Club Bern. The opening track, «With Love», sets the tone for the entire journey through the labyrinth, which serves as a metaphor for the trio's understanding: «You walk towards the centre and move away again. It is an interplay full of emotions». It is therefore not primarily about getting to the centre of the labyrinth. Rather, the journey is the goal.
Elephant dance on velvet feet
The following song is a little gem of this change. «Elephant Walk» is a thoroughly danceable song in which the tuba leads the way. The virtuoso playing of Johänntgen's sax is inspiring, while Stauffacher congenially takes a back seat and expresses himself here, as on all the songs, very discreetly but succinctly. Groove is a key word for most of the songs, which inevitably remind the listener of the early days of jazz, before the double bass increasingly asserted itself as the rhythmic backbone. But Hansen is not simply a rhythm player; his playing often enters into a dialogue with the melodic lines of the saxophone. On «Hark», the trombonist offers a wonderful solo that sounds like an homage to the alphorn. Stauffacher also enlivens the album, which features exclusively compositions by the band leader, with the composition «Colores», on which he pulls out all the stops of his extensive percussion repertoire in a melodious solo. On «Pandeiro, Sing It Baby», he contrasts Johänntgen's vocals with the small frame drum and jingle bell from the world of samba. Mention should also be made of a tribute to the great free jazz bluesman Arthur Blythe, «In Honour of Arthur Blythe», and Johänntgen's gripping calling card in «The Voice of the Saxophone», a short solo full of emotion.
Ruedi Ankli, jazz'n'more
This article appeared in the Jan/Feb 2025 issue of Jazz'n'more magazine. More info & subscriptions jazznmore.ch