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Reuter / Motzer / Grohowski — Bleed
(Moonjune MJR125, 2022, CD / DL)

by Jon Davis, Published 2023-08-16

Bleed Cover art

Bleed is the second album of music by the trio of Markus Reuter, Tim Motzer, and Kenny Grohowski, a follow-up to Shapeshifters (2020), and as such it’s very much in the same vein. Barring the stylistic differences of the players, a strong comparison can also be made with the latest Anchor and Burden release, Kosmonautik Pilgrimage. And, for that matter, any of the Moonjune releases featuring various combinations of these musicians with others: The Stone House (Reuter with Mark Wingfield and Asaf Sirkis), Lighthouse (Reuter, Wingfield, and Sirkis with Yaron Stavi), PAKT (Motzer and Grohowski with Percey Jones and Alex Skolnick), and so on. In all cases, you’ll hear superb musicians improvising together in a way that’s not idiomatic of jazz. I suppose the prototype for this way of making music would be the improvisations of King Crimson. Another way of looking at it is that it’s very much like other instrumental avant-progressive rock except that the pieces don’t have clear themes that repeat or defined structures. The sensibilities of these musicians in this situation lead to certain features. Grohowski is usually playing with a definite pulse, even if there’s no set meter and it’s much less pattern-based than is found elsewhere. Reuter and Motzer between them provide the equivalent of bass, lead, and backing parts, though they’re free to change roles. Each one of the eight tracks works through variations of the process, with differing moods and energy levels. It can be a real treat to hear such superb musicians running unfettered, and the recordings are at the peak of technical quality, with amazing clarity. And while I enjoy these recordings a lot, I can help but wish for the real emotional impact that can come from well written pieces in the same genre. There is an immense satisfaction that comes when a coordinated melody, harmony, and rhythm bring a composition to a climax. Bleed is a sure winner for fans of the previous improvisations from any of these musicians.

Filed under: New releases, 2022 releases

Related artist(s): Markus Reuter, Tim Motzer, Kenny Grohowski

More info
http://markus-reuter-moonjune.bandcamp.com/album/bleed

 

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