A voice in the twilight. It whispers. It speaks with quiet urgency. It sounds soft, gentle, circumspect. It expresses itself as if it had all the time in the world, without having to force or rush a single phrase. Its tone is pensive, melancholy, detached. It speaks with a self-confidence that knows it needs no histrionics. You hear the voice even when it is completely within himself. It is simply there, growing organically, and that seems as if it was always there. Always this voice in the quiet, atmospheric moments when the light falls obliquely on the pavement with scarcely a sound or movement around. It exerts a strangely powerful attraction--it is the voice of Domenic Landolf--the saxophone-bass clarinet-alto flute sounds of this quiet and extraordinary instrumentalist. He has preserved his magical twilight-voice sounds in trio context with bassist Patrice Moret and drummer Dejan Terzic. The CD is called New Brighton, a CD filled with music of riveting beauty and a trio that plays with intimate intensity.
Thirteen pieces that hold the listener spellbound. Magical moments appear out of thin air. Each piece reveals a quirky, unique world of sounds in which an enchanting naturalness resides and invites the listener to step into. You can stroll through this musical world, simply drifting along as you experience enthralling, beautifully nuanced moments.
The pure, minimalist instrumentation of this trio has great allure. Wind instruments, bass, and drums--without a chordal instrument such as piano or guitar. Here, the beauty and intensity grows out of the clarity and economy of the dialogue. Landolf, Moret and Terzic's playing is so tightly interlocked that it is as if their nerve ends are joined up in some mysterious way--as if they are made from the same mold, or are drifting down the same stream. Bass and drums are not so much accompanists" as they are reflected self-images. Landolf's many-faceted musings re-emerge in bassist Patrice Moret's correspondingly versatile bass lines. The bass functions as a poetic extension of the main voice, a subtle echo spun out of the depths this also gives him the possibility of opening-up his solo- play, which he proceeds to do brilliantly. And Dejan Terzic's soulful drumming with its breadth and depth of sounds and textures covers a lot of ground, as when the high-toned ring of chimes contribute melodic set-pieces that sound as if they were out of some far-away dream world. These musical moments have something almost surreal about them--captivating moments with a quirky magic that enchants the listener and holds him spellbound.
An instrumentalist with a yen for diversity--and an unflustered cool that comes from within. At the same time it all gives the impression of a completely enclosed unity. And that is also true for Landolf's enigmatically embellished and beautifully mysterious compositions (that continually shift and change through the trio's collective creativity). The pieces are made up of intensively strong, distinctive voices, but taken together they are completely and utterly one. Pieces with conundrums for titles--The Beatles Go East or Leher for instance--puzzle games for the listener who is looking for cross-references. Put altogether--the titles, the compositional strength, the subtle-sounding play, and the trio's super-sensitive interaction--the results are an enthralling musical spectrum. There is much to discover in this music. For those who love nuances, listen carefully. This is music with a serene voice out of the twilight that has a lot to say. It is the voice of Domenic Landolf.