Schlippenbach Trio
The Vortex, London
25/11/10

Alexander von Schlippenbach-piano
Evan Parker-tenor saxophone
Paul Lovens-drums

This gig marked the 40th anniversary of the partnership of Alexander von Schlippenbach, Evan Parker and Paul Lovens as The Schlippenbach Trio. 40 years together! OK, so for longevity that’s not quite as astonishing as the Rolling Stones (48 years and counting), but it’s a rare old achievement all the same, and without the inestimable financial rewards of an ancillary industry like the Stones’ to support them. There were no logoed Schlippenbach t-shirts for sale at the Vortex. Sadly I can only report on the first half of the gig, since other commitments forced my departure after the first set. London gets crazy in Jazz Festival season, and though I could happily stash a sleeping bag at the Vortex and just head straight there every night after work, sometimes something has to give. Fortunately for me the trio were on fine, and more than expectedly pugnacious form.

Alexander von Schlippenbach got going with a conviction that instantly belied his 72 years of age. The first piece evoked a swathe of of jazz piano history, from boogie woogie to be-bop and, most overtly, Thelonious Monk. Schlippenbach typically plays with the fingers of both hands held vertically, to drop hard, rapidly sequenced note clusters into the music’s flow. He’s a rigorous player, though sometimes baroque in his figurations. His solos are executed deliberately, but with such speed that if notated they would probably require a piano roll to replicate. Lovens’ drumming, similarly, was so rapid as to blur the perception of its regularity; but his touch is light, sharp; its effect less bass thump and rumble, more a percussive skittering that exploits the taut dryness of the drumheads. Parker was on tenor throughout the set. It’s the instrument on which he currently produces his arguably most rewarding work; certainly it’s the instrument on which he is least predictable. Whereas his incredible breath control on the soprano saxophone has long made his expressions on that instrument among the most readily identifiable in any musical genre, on the tenor his identity still seems open-ended, if no less expressive of his command over technique. His performances on soprano long ago assumed the aspect of recitation, but on tenor he’s still carving protean sound forms.

The trio’s music is a discourse. Schlippenbach offers an exposition, and Evan Parker throws back responses, sometimes suggesting other perspectives or alternative formulations, sometimes playing devil’s advocate. Lovens commentates and, in rare moments of necessity, arbitrates. Their music is now much more direct than that of their FMP recordings, from “Pakistani Pomade” (1972) through to “Elf Bagatellen” (1989). Today the trio are less rhythmically playful, expressively more concentrated, and with less time to spare for the scattered, fragmentary phrases from which those recordings were constructed. Now they favour a more driven, effectively trammelled music, which better encapsulates their knowledge of self. Without wanting to indulge in any inverse ageism, this is a trio with gravitas, which exhibits a firmness of purpose and conviction borne of exacting collective self knowledge. Their music is powerfully emotive, sometimes joyfully so.

Ian comments;
Tim, you might not believe this but Schlippenbach T shirts actually exist! Two or three years ago the Japanese clothing company Uniqlo (they have branches in London and Kingston Upon Thames) produced a series of T shirts based on ECM cover designs. These were mainly the stark, simple, lettered designs and included the cover of the 1989 album by the Berlin Contemporary Jazz Orchestra. The words “conducted by Alexander von Schlippenbach” appear on the album cover and the shirt! I remember seeing a guy wearing one of these at one of the UK festivals, probably Brecon or Cheltenham and remember thinking how unusual it was.
Many of the designs related to Keith Jarrett and I’ve got one of these shirts depicting Jarrett’s “Standards Vol.1”, also another of Jan Garbarek’s “Sart”. The ECM shirts were popular with musicians too, I’ve seen vibist Jim Hart and saxophonist Mornington Lockett performing when wearing Jarrett shirts. Other designs I’ve seen fans wearing include the A.R.C cover design (Chick Corea, Dave Holland, Barry Altschul).
Sadly Uniqlo have long since discontinued the ECM series, I think I got in just before it finished. Due to the obvious popularity of the designs maybe ECM should think about doing something themselves. With the company celebrating their fortieth anniversary last year they may have missed something of an opportunity.
But you never thought we’d be publishing sartorial tips on the Jazzmann. They don’t call me “The Fashion Icon” for nothing!

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