Leo Rec.
The Dorf : Le Record (D,2011)****'
The Dorf is a Big, no! a Huge Band. They describe themselves as a Village where people come and go with still a sense of community, an entity on its own. This community group plays monthly in the Dortmund Jazz Club and is still led by Jan Klare.
The first track, “Now” shows the huge band, led by brass and communal conversations of improvisation while the guitars repeat a monotone, fast 4/4 oscillating rhythm. The band is more like a jazz band who plays like a rock band. Also the energy often is pushed to a wilder energetic level, freaking up the tension. Some electric guitars at a point takes over the lead only to have another melodic response on brass. These oscillating guitars give this piece something minimalistic while the band enjoys the freedom they can add on top.
The second track, “Spin” is somewhat vaguely melodically evolving with several individuals playing a separate continuation part. The guitar pushes the piece up again rhythmically together with the drums, and there are also electric solos this time, but leaving the lead melodic part to the brass arrangement again.
The third track, “Deep” is much slower with long electric notes, brushed rhythms and lounge keyboards, then with some brass coming in, before the track breaks again into separate individual continuations with each note and accents by different instruments, before the theme concludes itself while leading back to the first part with slightly more harmonic full band arrangements.
The fifth track, “Riff” has a wilder pushing electric bass rhythm and a chaotic freaky improvisational element which tends to become berserk and chaotic amongst a returning to the lead brass theme and a simple fast stomping rhythm finding ground.
“Count” is one of the stranger tracks, based upon counting, with mostly a slow and steady 2/2 rhythm (while the band at some stage is counting from 1 to 4), where the band improvises around it, again with here and there some separated instruments and their accents or notes one by one, with the full band sound being heard only sporadically. The chosen rhythm is pretty linear and unusual for jazz which in a bigger concept of creative band members it usually does not limit itself that much. So also this has another Terry Riley-like minimalism incorporated, but perhaps also reveals a strong dominance by a band leader for it has just one direction. With so many members and each still having its rightful place, mixed perfectly also, this still works very well.
“Pulk” I think is another unusual track. It clearly describes a circus, first with a circus theme, then with different actions as if something visual is happening, say a clown. This is first more theatre than composed music. We hear a straw flute theme, -the clown-, with responding brass instruments like reactions of the public or witnessing band, then many different actions are shown with certain cacaphonic fun of happenings creating confusion to the senses, a form of chaos, until a fast round-walking rhythm returns the actions to a marching rhythm band with a strong and returning focus to a circus melodic theme. I really love this track because so much is happening and it is very unusual compared to normal jazz. I would love to hear a full album like this.
“Feed” is again very different, starting with a cello/violin contemporary music duet adding new, somewhat chaotic sounds and elements, including slowly played feedback on electric guitars, until the band finds a rhythmic focus, on which the electric bass guitar and such pushes forth the energy and a trumpet improvises freely, up to a wild and then also sudden conclusion.
Also the last track “Back” starts with confusing rather electric tension of creation out of chaos finding different elements and rhythms, then harmonies and themes including a lead solo by violin with trumpet leaves us to a lasting shadow of the unborn, leaving tones and wobbling rhythms to fade away with the scene.
The band through experience surely gained power and also their entity as a voice is more distinctive. Well done and well mixed.
