VIENNA ART ORCHESTRA
Artistry in Rhythm: A European Suite
TCB
01102


Amazing as it may seem, the VAO has been at it now for about two decades. Artistry in Rhythm represents a bit of a departure for composer / arranger / leader Matthias Ruegg: the band is perhaps the largest it's ever been, and they have developed a pronounced funky fusion edge. The latter may well put off some old fans of the group, though it may well attract new followers.

If you consider the VAO's previous work, the title itself seems especially ironic, calling forth images of Stan Kenton's lumbering, overblown big bands of the early '50s. And Ruegg is a humorous guy (read the song titles!), so it's possible that he's poking a little fun at himself. But maybe not. Unlike the 10- to 15-member VAOs of the mid-1980s, this is a very big (24 members in all), very brassy crew. The contributions of vocalist Urszula Dudziak and percussionist Patrice Heral virtually disappear under the sheer weight of the 17-strong horn section. Somehow, Franck Tortellier's vibraharp pierces the brass curtain for a couple of solos, but for the most part, he's buried as well.

The emphasis on Artistry is on Ruegg's compositions. Here, Ruegg tends not fragment the big band into smaller sub-groups to explore, in depth, various tonal, timbral and textural possibilities via collective improvisation and other non-linear musical strategies. Compared to the VAO's adventurous, sonically varied recordings for Hat ART, this disc seems a tad stodgy. Yet, Ruegg's composing and arranging are still immediately identifiable, and it's worth mentioning that trumpeter Karl 'Bumi' Fian, reedman Harry Sokal, and trombonist Christian Radovan have been with the VAO from its inception.

Unfortunately, Artistry in Rhythm completely lacks liner notes, as well as any means of identifying individual soloists, so I can only guess what Ruegg is up to. The subtitle provides a clue: "Fifteen variations over one tempo dedicated to fifteen capitals in one continent." The title of each variation refers to a different European capital. I have no idea how Ruegg arrived at some of his motifs - the reggae flavor of "Lucky Luxembourg" seems especially unlikely. On the other hand, the hint of Ornette's "Lonely Woman" that informs "Copenhagen's Mermaid Heart" is a wistful stroke of genius. And I had to chuckle as I discovered what Vienna does when she doesn't waltz.

The Artistry In Rhythm bit comes from Ruegg's use of rhythmic modulations to unify and divide the various segments of the suite. This is most startlingly developed in the opening piece, "Graffiti in Stockholm." The CD booklet contains extracts from the score that demonstrate how to make all the rhythmic transitions. Fortunately, none of this music seems cute or calculated like Don Ellis' stuff from the '60s and '70s. JoJo Meyer and Robert Riegler are incredibly smooth and poised throughout, though it seemed to me that percussionist Heral functioned as a sort of musical traffic cop; his minimal approach kept everything flowing smoothly with a minimum of fuss.

The featured soloists all turn in first-rate performances. Vibist Tortellier sounds uncannily like his predecessor, Woody Schabata, on "Moony Paris" The reed soloists are especially impressive, though I have to guess at who solos on what tune. Scherrer's soulful tenor lights up "Copenhagen," Gradischnig's baritone gets extraordinarily funky on "Helsinki," and Dickbauer (or perhaps Sokal) completely tears the roof off of "Luxembourg," sounding like Sonny Stitt (or perhaps Julius Hemphill) being channeled through Maceo Parker. That said, the Muthspiel brothers manage to top everyone with their inventive and inspired improvisations. Christian Muthspiel turns in the most determinedly outside solo of the entire set on "Madrid Madness": everything he does seems inspired as he pulls out all the stops - multiphonics, vocalizations, mutes, even buzzing the mute against the bell. Brother Wolfgang is one of the very few modern mainstream jazz guitarists of recent vintage who've managed to transcend early Frisell and Scofield influences to develop a personal sound - and he never seems to run out of ideas.

Artistry in Rhythm is a pretty damn good CD, and one that I enjoyed repeatedly, despite the fact that I liked the VAOs earlier recordings quite a bit more. This was a live performance, and the excitement of the concert setting is readily apparent even though you don't hear the applause until the very end.


-- Dave Wayne


Track Listing: 1. Graffiti in Stockholm; 2. Moony Paris on the Run; 3. Double Dealers Crash into Double Doubts on Dublin; 4. Copenhagen's Mermaid Heart; 5. Hanging Out in Den Haag; 6. Bruxelles Ma Belle; 7. If Athens Would Have Been Built by Atheists, You Would Never Have Seen the Parthenon; 8. Madrid Madness; 9. Helsinki Sinking in an Inky Light; 10. Roma Roams in Romances; 11. Lucky Luxmbourg; 12. When Vienna Doesn't Waltz; 13. London Rushes in the Tube; 14. Lisboa Reverie; 15. Off Beat Berlin On the Beat


Personnel: Matthias Ruegg, leader, compositions, arrangements; Urszula Dudziak, voice; Thorsten Benkenstein, Matthieu Michel, Bumi Fian, Jurai Bartos, and Thomas Gansch, trumpets; Arkady Schilkoper and Tom Varner, French horns; Adrian Mears, Christian Radovan, Christian Muthspiel, Robert Bachner, trombones; Ed Partyka, tuba; Klaus Dickbauer, Florian Brambock, Andy Scherrer, Harry Sokal, and Herwig Gradischnig, reeds; JoJo Mayer, drums, Franck Tortellier, vibraharp; Wolfgang Muthspiel, electric guitar; Robert Riegler, electric bass; Patrice Heral, percussion