Label: Self released
Personnel - Kai Winter: alto saxophone; Frau Sportman: double bass, live electronics, toys; Peter Czekay: trumpet; Sanjuro: drums.
Spiccilegia marks a confident debut recital from Coo, a chordless quartet of avant-gardists hailing from Berlin. The album includes 16 tracks shaped by the group’s exploratory instincts and in-the-moment interplay. The lineup features an ultra snappy frontline with altoist Kai Winter and trumpeter Peter Czekay, supported by the robust rhythm section of bassist Frau Portman and drummer Sanjuro.
The opener, “Herati”, is a ritualistic rampage driven by frantically brushed drums, throbbing bass lines, and darting horn trills that culminate in a searing cacophony. “Fulgar” evokes the dynamic communion of Gato Barbieri and Don Cherry, while “Coowabatake” serves as a platform for Sanjuro’s versatile rhythmic vocabulary.
“Let’s Coo” swings hard, its short unison lines punctuated with bursts of exclamation and interrogation. As the piece progresses, the quartet transitions into a more abstract realm, marked by Sportman’s mournful bass murmurs and communicative exchanges between the horns. The brisk “Mustela” and the fragmented “Isochronal” are motivically exciting and expressionistic, generating gripping tension and energy.
The free jazz forcefulness of Ornette Coleman resonates in “Coomotion”, where articulate sax and trumpet lines swing around the rhythmic tapestry of bass and drums with hard-bop vigor. “Lageparameter” opens with a measured rhythmic flow defined by pronounced bass drum kicks, trumpet moans, and popping saxophone exertions, later launching a dynamic cadence that sustains a bewitching in-and-out phraseology.
“Cystius” highlights the group’s experimental flair with barbed wit, while “Coil Flux Guide” jumps a notch in intensity, transitioning from meditative chamber-like textures to a volatile, agitated setting. The track brims with rasping arco bass, incisive horn activity, and explosive drumming as Sanjuro propels the ensemble into a feverish crescendo.
Coo’s compositional frames nod to clear influences, but the quartet’s initiative and inventiveness imbue each piece with a distinct identity. Spiccilegia is a positive first step.
Favorite Tracks:
04 - Let’s Coo ► 06 - Mustela ► 16 - Cool Flux Guide