released June 14, 2023

Recorded by Tito Knapp at Zentrifuge
Berlin on August 24th, 2022.
Mixed by Rudi Fischerlehner.
Mastered by Olaf Rupp.
Cover painting "Fieser Strudel"
by Katrin Plavčak, photographed by Ludger Paffrath.
Band photo by Bernd Scholkemper.
Graphic design by Carlos Santos.
Production by Ernesto Rodrigues.

All music by Lina Allemano, Uwe Oberg, Matthias Bauer and Rudi Fischerlehner.


critic vital weekly

ALLEMANO/OBERG/BAUER/FISCHERLEHNER - SOG
(CD by Creative Sources Recordings)

This release captures Lina Allemano (trumpet), Uwe Oberg (piano), Matthias Bauer (double bass) and Rudi Fischerlehner (drums & percussion) 2 days after they played at Kühlspot. It’s the third time they played together, at least according to Bauer’s website. But it doesn’t show. They sound like a working band with a strong rapport between all the players. By that, I mean that the interaction and responses to what each musician hears are excellent. All titles relate to nature’s way of dealing with water: whirlpool or maelstrom (from the Dutch maalstroom).
    Damn, my reviews are relatively short, but I lack the words for this one. The longest track is just short of half an hour. The shortest is just under two minutes long. The other two are seventeen and ten minutes long—and never a dull moment. The musicians create a maelstrom, or sometimes a trickle of water but always controlled and relatively tonal. Allemano whips up beautiful long lines or short fanfarelike intervals of fourths. I’m really impressed by this release. Maybe the best word to describe this music is chamber music jazz. Delicate, restless at times and in other instances calm as dead water, but only for a moment, and bristling with ideas, however fleeting they may be. Be distracted, and it’s gone. What I mean is that you have to listen intently to catch the tiniest details and hear the musicians respond to each other. Kudos to the recording engineer Tito Knapp, Fischerlehner, who did the mixing and Olaf Rupp for the mastering. It all sounds crisp and lively. All the details can be heard distinctly. Get this one immediately! (Mark Daelmans-Sikkel)


critic by Rigobert Dittmann/ Bad Alchemy

LINA ALLEMANO – UWE OBERG – MATTHIAS BAUER – RUDI FISCHERLEHNER SOG Creative Sources, CS 777): Hier stülpt sich ein Déjà vue übers Déjà entendu. Die Entstehung von Schorle Scholkempers Bandfoto, das die CD illustriert, war das erste, was wir erblickten, als wir am 15.4. etwas zu früh ins Weikersheimer w71 platzten. Vom dortigen famosen Konzert, dem erst dritten des deutsch-kanadischen NowJazz-Quartetts SOG, habe ich berichtet (BA 119). Das hier ist der Mitschnitt vom 24.8.2022, ihrem First Date in der Berliner Zentrifuge, mit 'El Remolino', 'Il Vortice', 'Le Tourbillon' und 'Malstrom' als Taufpaten. Und der Selbstironie von Katrin Plavčaks Covergemälde 'Fieser Strudel'. Es geht mir aber nicht darum, wievel w71-Erinnerungen da aufgefrischt werden, sondern wie SOG-haft nun das einen am Ohr mitzieht. Fischerlehners unermüdlich klappernder, scharrender, tapsender Schnickschnack zur von Bauers Pizzicato und Obergs wuseligem Arpeggio stürmisch vorangetriebenen Rasanz, dem die Trompeterin aus Toronto mit halb gestopftem Schnarren und Schmettern die Schaumkronen aufsetzt. Der Drang flaut ab für kuriose, tröpfelige, klirrende Querschläge, launige Oberg-Eskapaden, knarzige und bebende Bassgeräusche und nun fast ganz verstopfte Tröt- und Schmauchlaute. Doch die geräuschverliebte Drift in die Peripherie hat ihren eigenen Reiz im klimpernden, jaulig 'geigenden', schräg tutenden, prickelig pressenden Auskosten phantastischer Ecken und Macken des Bruitoversums. Aus dem Allemano, Fischerlehners flickernder, knatternder Hagel, Obergs ostinate, harfige, klimbimbernde Schüttung und Bauers sägender Sog wieder in die Strömung zurücksteuern. Dem großen spanischen Strudel folgt, von melancholisch bis turbulent, der italienische, mit spuckigem und aufbegehrendem Horn, Clownslatschen- und Rappelbeats, pickendem, kapriziös quirlendem Piano, brummelndem Bass. Der Tourbillon schürt die Spannung wieder bruitophil mit jaulig und krümelig agil umwirbeltem schlabberndem, quäkendem Tut- und Blas-Spaß und dezidierten Oberg-Kapriolen, blechern und muschelig durchgerüttelt, mit versonnenem Bass lyrisch reduziert, durch zirpige Silberfolie schnarrend und ratschend, klirrend wieder verdichtet. Statt dieser polymorphen Phantasterei dreht sich, typisch deutsch, 'Mahlstrom' kurz und besorgt um sich selbst. SOGs Humor hat definitiv Hand und Fuß, und Allemano besiegelt das mit tausend Küssen. [BA 120 rbd]


Kritik im Freistiel

ALLEMANO / OBERG / BAUER / FISCHERLEHNER
sog
Creative Sources
Lina Allemano (tp), Uwe Oberg (p), Matthias Bauer (b), Rudi Fischerlehner (dr)
Nach dem, was sich im weltweiten Gewebe recherchieren ließ, wurde diese 2022er Aufnahme in der Berliner Zentrifuge – nur relativ kurz, nachdem diese formidable Formation zueinander fand – aufgenommen. Hört man nun diese Musik, so mag das vielleicht etwas verwundern, so stimmig, so wohlorganisiert wirkt das Ganze, so überzeugend sind das Zusammenspiel und die wechselseitigen Reaktionen aufeinander – im Gesamten wie in Details. Hier wird auf Spitzeniveau improvisiert, was man eventuell als zeitgenössische Herangehensweise an Free- Jazz-Idiomatiken bezeichnen könnte. Alle Akteur*innen sind absolut hochklassig unterwegs, Allemanos Trompetenbeiträge, so ihre durchschlagskräftigen Linien, setzen dem Ganzen noch die Krone auf. Das ist komplex, vielschichtig, vereint ein weites Ausdruckspektrum, bringt verschiedene Temperamente zusammen. Eine weitere Berliner Perle! (bertl)


Review by Martin Schray/ Free Jazz Collective

SOG is a quartet by trumpeter Lina Allemano, bassist Matthias Bauer, percussionist Rudi Fischerlehner and pianist Uwe Oberg - in other words: three excellent members of the Berlin Echtzeit cosmos are augmented by the most prominent musician of the very lively Wiesbaden scene (Oberg). What is more, SOG is the German word for “eddying“ or “maelstrom“ and this is exactly what the quartet’s music is like. The four pieces “El Remolino“, “Il Vortice“, Le Tourbillon“ and “Malstrom“ all mean the same thing in different languages. This is why at least the three major pieces are structured alike (“Malstrom“ is only a very short encore). As a listener there’s no way to escape the magic, the energy and the sheer beauty this music develops over the course of almost 60 minutes.
“El Remolino“, the opening track, is the perfect example of the band’s idea for this project. It’s reminiscent of a typical Cecil Taylor piece from the 2000s. Before the wind instrument kicks in, the rhythm section leads up to it. Oberg uses delicate Taylor-like clusters, Fischerlehner plays the Tony Oxley/Paul Lovens part with strong emphasis on snare, cymbals and extended materials, Bauer drives forward unobtrusively, yet uncompromisingly. When Allemano’s trumpet finally begins, it blends smoothly into this structure, its tone pointed and clear. Here and there she sounds like a military trumpeter in a free jazz band. But the fact that the band has its own concept becomes clear already in the duel between Oberg and her, because here the pianist deviates from any Taylorian influences and goes his own way. If the listeners think they might be able to focus less, the music pulls them back in - as in a maelstrom. Out of nowhere the sound of Allemano’s trumpet changes, one thinks she literally tears the notes apart. Oberg responds with prepared sounds reminiscent of a spinet. From this moment on, both instruments float feather-light above the bass and drums, and Bauer and Fischerlehner realize that they only have to be supportive here. In these first ten minutes the piece is as if from a single mould, it’s a prime example of European free jazz - only to disintegrate completely (which it does not, of course)! The drums lose their pulse, the same goes for the bass. The trumpet meanders in nowhere, the piano sets very sporadic notes. Bass and drums scratch around on their instruments. It seems as if the musicians leer at each other to see who will lead the improvisation back to the beginning. In the end, it’s all of them together, through intensity and volume. Powerful chords, sharp, bowed bass lines and pointed trumpet runs are all it takes. Fischerlehner, interestingly, stays completely out of it here, which adds to the energy level. By the end of the piece, the band is actually back to free jazz, but with different timbres. Fischerlehner’s drums are darker, more driving (this is where it comes into play that he’s also at home in the rock realm), Oberg plays flashy, high notes, while Bauer and Allemano again try to tear the piece apart sonically. In terms of structure and energy control, “El Remolino“ is certainly one of the best pieces I’ve heard this year, and “Il Vortice“ and “Le Tourbillon“ are in no way inferior to it.
All in all, SOG is a great band and a great album. Whenever I come across Uwe Oberg, I think that I constantly underestimate his way of playing, the same goes for Matthias Bauer (I have to make amends here). Then again, I’m a big fan of Rudi Fischerlehner, whose restrained but incredibly versatile style of playing has always fascinated me. However, what Lina Allemano does on this album, is outstanding. The way she plays with varied sound colours and textures makes the difference that this album is not just very good, but outstanding.

Comment by Stef Gijssels/ Free Jazz Collective

Great review, Martin. I've been listening to this album for the last week and it is indeed outstanding. Many Creative Sources albums have something minimal and introspective, but this one is exuberant and extravert, powerful and intense. I love it.