Ben Zahler’s Songgoing – Quietly Cold (2018) [Official Digital Download 24bit/96kHz]

Ben Zahler’s Songgoing – Quietly Cold (2018)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 48:28 minutes | 911 MB | Genre: Jazz
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © TCB The Montreux Jazz Label

“Quietly Cold” the title of this album may be somewhat misleading, as the music is neither as quiet nor as cold as it suggests. Intense songs, a girlish-fresh, innocent-sounding voice, the concise flute -playing of the bandleader and a compelling, swinging groove: these are the outstanding features of this evocative, drum-less quartet.

It is the well-honed rhythm section made up by Thomas Baumgartner and Marco Nenniger that provides the ideal foundation on top of which voice and flute confidently layer their melody lines. Whether the pianist is establishing the base colour or placing accents in his solos, or the bass player is providing the grounding for a ballad or getting into the groove with a counter-melody, Scott LaFaro-style: this duo seems joined at the hip.

With the exception of “Lullaby for the Wild” and “Andy’s Food Corner” (both composed by Thomas Baumgartner), all songs on the album were written by Ben Zahler. While the music is easy on the ear, it nonetheless has depth and not a little humour: the songs are contemplative, altogether beautifully rounded, intelligent and entirely honest, with magnificent dialogues and a convincing interplay between the four musicians: Quietly cold – but always on the move. Steff Rohrbach

Tracklist:

1-01. Ben Zahler’s Songgoing – Off the Hook (04:14)
1-02. Ben Zahler’s Songgoing – Quietly Cold (03:26)
1-03. Ben Zahler’s Songgoing – So Much Nonsense (and Furthermore) (04:11)
1-04. Ben Zahler’s Songgoing – Lullaby for the Wild (04:09)
1-05. Ben Zahler’s Songgoing – Dancing Elf (04:43)
1-06. Ben Zahler’s Songgoing – I Like That Papermoon (03:46)
1-07. Ben Zahler’s Songgoing – Long Deep Sleep Song (04:26)
1-08. Ben Zahler’s Songgoing – Snow Dreaming (03:26)
1-09. Ben Zahler’s Songgoing – Andy’s Foodcorner (04:40)
1-10. Ben Zahler’s Songgoing – Strange Enough (01:29)
1-11. Ben Zahler’s Songgoing – More (02:57)
1-12. Ben Zahler’s Songgoing – Falling Gloves Are Always Blue (04:37)
1-13. Ben Zahler’s Songgoing – Monday Morning Move (02:18)

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