Konzert: 27. Januar 2024 20:30, TERMINUS Saarbrücken
Stefan Münzer, piano
Jan Oestreich, double bass
Christian Fischer, drums
Audio: „Interstellar View“ – free improvisation, recorded June 2022 in Saarbrücken, Germany. Mix by Stephan Vester, Düsseldorf.
At the heart of this trio are the reciprocal relations carefully built in the freedom of the musical moment. Relational richness arises from an approach that puts connectedness in the foreground. All decisions in the improvised music come from there. This improvised music is not driven by style categories. Freedom, however, is not viewed as self-purpose.
In a piece, the playing of the three musicians may well flow around a perceptible core idea. The core idea can be a compositional impulse that is reproducible as such. It will set the mood and character. The core idea then opens the door for the music of the moment. An example is „Inner Rain“:
However, the pre-existing compositional core idea can also be omitted. It may begin with a characteristic sound, motif, rhythmic structure and timing that represents a discernible decision on music and mood. The improvisation builds upon these elements, repeats and explores them. Further developments as well as contrasts relate to them. Although music flows in time, the characteristics of the early and the recent decisions remain in the musical memory space of both the listener and the improviser.
Sometimes the improvisation-exploration develops into harmonic and melodic clearness that comes close to familiar structures and has thematic significance. It is nevertheless improvised in that moment. It is a development emerging from the phases before.
„Interstellar View“ (see above) is an example of this approach. Here is another one: „Make Yourself At Home“.
Audio: „Make Yourself At Home“ – free improvisation, recorded June 2022 in Saarbrücken, Germany. Mix by Stephan Vester, Düsseldorf.
The music is very original, but does not sound unfamiliar; it is not offbeat, not unwieldy, not intellectually constructed, neither trendy nor a declared counter-program.
Freedom in improvisation is understood as the freedom to make decisions, focusing on the relevant, original, meaningful elements, and being responsible for them.
The music is very original, but does not sound unfamiliar; it is not offbeat, not unwieldy, not intellectually constructed, neither trendy nor a declared counter-program.
Album: UTOPIA
UTOPIA is the trio’s first album and will be published by wismART
Jan Oestreich (b) and Christian Fischer (dr) have worked together with different national and international musicians for more than 20 years with a regional anchoring around Saarbrücken, Germany (e.g., Adam Pirończyk / THEMATE, Christoph Thewes, Wollie Kaiser, ENGELS Q, PARALLAXE). Since 2016, the Stefan Münzer Trio exists. All bring their broad backgrounds in jazz, new music, Indian ragas and classical training. In this trio, the backgrounds meet and melt, with an emphasis on the intuitive, independent approach of Stefan Münzer and his compositional impulses. The trio can be heard regularly on regional stages and jazz festivals. In 2020, the album UTOPIA was produced with the label wismART. Due to the pandemic, it was postponed to 2023. In 2021, a live streaming event on the jazz festival JAZZ IM WARNDT was released. In 2022, another recording session resulted in a series of improvised pieces that are expected to be the trio’s second album.
Photo by Camilia Zabacca
Christian Fischer, Jan Oestreich, Stefan Münzer