1. WAYNE'S WORLD (Kuffer)
2. BAZARUTO (Kuffer)
3. LOVE ME TENDER (Matson/Presley)
4. DON'T (Leiber/Stoller)
5. BERNIE'S BOUNCE (Kuffer/Fishbacher)
6. LE BAL DES SINGES (Kuffer/Fischbcher)
DANIEL KUFFER - TENOR AND SOPRANO SAXOPHONES
JEAN-YVES JUNG - PIANO
PHILIPPE AERTS - BASS
STEVE GRANT - DRUMS
During the past five years the Daniel Küffer Quartet
has performed at over three hundred live concerts for appreciative
audiences all over Europe. These four musicians continually probe
the boundaries of the contemporary jazz scene, striving for a stronger
and more personal identity, while keeping their individual contributions
firmly within the jazz tradition.
Daniel Küffer's various musical projects from this five-year
period have already been documented on four critically acclaimed CDs,
and this new 'live' CD offers a retrospective view of some of this
material. At the same time it provides the perfect opportunity for
introducing the public at large to the present members of the quartet.
Saxophonist Daniel Küffer is one of the most prominent
Swiss jazz musicians of his generation, and leads this new version
of his quartet with a natural stage presence and a wealth of musical
experience.
At 25, French pianist, Jean-Yves Jung, is the youngest member
of the quartet. He is a uniquely inventive soloist - equally at home
in the quartet's rhythm section. He is also currently a regular member
of Billy Cobham's Jazz Project.
Belgian, Philippe Aerts, a superb bassist with a strong, natural,
sound, has only recently returned to Europe from New York where he
was a member of the Toshiko Akiyoshi/Lew Tabackin Jazz Orchestra.
A self-taught musician, Philippe has appeared with many of the American
jazz musicians who regularly visit Europe, including such illustrious
names as Joe Henderson, Mal Waldron, and Lee Konitz.
Drummer Steve Grant, originally from Liverpool, England, has
been a member of the Daniel Küffer Quartet since 1997.
Thirty-four year old Grant, who has been on the road professionally
since the age of fifteen, had already performed at the Montreux Jazz
Festival on two separate occasions before he was 21. His propulsive
drive and fluid adaptability provide a solid foundation for this accomplished
rhythm section.
Wayne's World, the opener on this set, and the first of
three Küffer originals, is a jazz waltz named for Wayne
Shorter. In this live version, sympathetic support from Steve
Grant and Philippe Aerts allow both Daniel Küffer
and Jean-Yves Jung ample space to 'stretch-out' and fully
explore this delicate piece.
Don't is, believe it or not, the Daniel Küffer Quartet's
deconstruction of a song made popular by Elvis Presley, and was
originally recorded on their fourth CD, 'Playing Elvis'.
I don't think that there has ever been a version quite like this
one! Küffer's intriguing arrangement transforms this
pop tune into a jazz ballad. Well worth listening to on this 'live'
version are the contributions of both Philippe Aerts and
Jean-Yves Jung.
Love Me Tender is a Hollywood melody from the movie of the
same name, the original version being a huge commercial hit for
Elvis Presley. From the same album as 'Don't', it receives
the full Küffer treatment, and as a result is completely
transformed. The original melody is explored by using various devices
including different time signatures, rubato, a range of tempos,
and unexpected re-harmonisations. Solos are kept predominantly to
the hard swinging medium tempo section, and 'free' quotes from the
initial theme are employed by each soloist to provide a 'peak'.
Finally, the quartet exit by riding-out on an unexpected relaxed
and airy Latin groove.
The exotically flavoured ballad, Bazaruto is an early composition
by Daniel Küffer and was featured on the quartet's very
first CD, released in 1995. Named after the island of Bazaruto,
just off the coast of Mozambique, it mirrors the location's unique
and spectacular beauty in a sound-scape evoking the ebb and flow
of the waves on the island's shore. In this 'live' version the relaxed
ambience of the theme opens up into some memorable solo performances,
where the quartet relaxes and allows every note to find its own
space.
Bernie's Bounce is a tune full of swing and energy. This
'live' version illustrates the way in which jazz players expose
themselves to ideas in a manner which many of them would be extremely
reluctant to consider in a studio setting where time and money matters,
more often than not, tend to predominate.
Le bal des singes makes liberal use of a New Orleans rhythmical
device usually referred to as 'Second Line' and provides a fitting
and funky climax to this CD. Listen out for Philippe Aerts
bass solo, building from a very simple motif into a complex harmonic
and rhythmic structure. Daniel Küffer's tenor sax solo
avoids all those worn-out quotes you've heard so many times before,
and finally Steve Grant takes it 'on home' with an inventive
and powerful solo performed over the steady 'comping' pattern provided
by the other members of the quartet.
The material contained on this CD was recorded over a two-week
period in autumn of 2000 during the quartet's tour of Switzerland
and Germany
BOB HARDY
For more complete and up-to-date information about the Daniel
Küffer Quartet, visit their web site at www.dk4.net
