Jazz on 3: Instant Composers' Pool Orchestra, Guillermo Klein Quartet
Jez Nelson
Radio 3 Presenter
We're digging into the Jazz on 3 vaults again this week to unearth a few previously unbroadcast gems. In the spotlight we've two contrasting sets, but both of equal intrigue; longstanding improvising project the Instant Composers' Pool Orchestra captured at a rare UK appearance back in February, plus Guillermo Klein's double-piano, double-sax quartet.
The influential Dutch partnership of pianist Misha Mengelberg and drummer Han Bennink is one that's helped shape the sound of European jazz for over 40 years. The ten-piece orchestra that they co-founded embodies the irresistible swing sounds of the Blue Note era whilst injecting avant-garde sensibilities that allow the music to veer off into freer worlds of spontaneous invention. Live, it's a spectacle of surprise and mischief and I was lucky enough to be there on the last night of their London residency earlier in the year, an event that's stuck in my mind ever since. There was a real sense of celebration at the gig – and seeing Mengelberg with the band was a real treat as unfortunately his health limits appearances these days.
Argentinian Pianist Guillermo Klein has also built a name through work with big bands over the past decade, however his most recent UK performance was a much more intimate affair, visiting with fellow pianist Aaron Goldberg and saxophonists Chris Cheek and Miguel Zenón. A Buenos Aires native who honed his craft in New York and then Barcelona, Guillermo’s music is a fascinating blend of jazz rhythm, folksong aesthetic and Minimalist texture, and this gig is a real gem.
Join me for this programme at the slightly later time of 11.45pm on Monday 19 August or listen online for seven days after broadcast.
Jez
If you have comments about the show, or requests for music you’d like to hear, do get in touch at jazzon3@bbc.co.uk or on Twitter '@BBCJazzon3'.
