Gina Schwarz

Schwarzmarkt Gina Schwarz

Gina Schwarz is not only a talented composer and fast advancing bassplayer, but she is one of the very few female musicians in the mostly (still) male dominated Jazzworld, she also made a clever choice of her fellow musicians, who I regard amongst the most talented on the current "Viennese" scene. The bulk of the compositions on this CD are written by Gina Schwarz and Klemens Marktl, both have spent time in the US further polishing their Jazzskills, and some of the titles have clear references to daily life there, Sam Adams being one of the better American beers, Cape Cod, that beautiful recreational pearl south of Boston, Ocean Avenue a Brooklyn address, where time was spent and sessions played. The music comes very well out of the tradition of Jazz, yet has a high level of rhythmic and harmonic sophistication, like the opener "Nine Times" by Gina Schwarz. Klemens Marktl provides us with tightly written themes reminiscent of Woody Shaw's bands, "Coming back" opens with a beautiful, gentle melody for the bass. "The Challenge" and "Ocean Avenue" are more hard hitting and well executed tunes by Klemens Marktl, Reinhard Micko presents his skills as a composer and graceful improviser in his composition "Onomatopoesis", "Cape Cod" provides us with a compact rhythmic theme, this time written by Gina Schwarz, "Sam Adams" pays tribute in a Monkish style reminiscent of Mingus's farewell to Lester Young "Good bye Pork Pie Hat", before we hear a melodic quote from "If I should loose you" in Robert Bachner's "for Gary" (Dial that is, a remarkable pianist/teacher at New York's New School, who Robert studied with).