Thu Oct. 18, 2018
20:30

Courvoisier/Feldman/Parker/Mori 'Miller’s Tale' (CH/USA/GB)

Sylvie Courvoisier: piano
Mark Feldman: violin
Evan Parker: tenor, soprano saxophone
Ikue Mori: electronics

Miller's Tale is the collaboration of the distinctive musicians Sylvie Courvoisier, Mark Feldman, Evan Parker and Ikue Mori.

In September 2015, they recorded the fully improvised pieces for this album. Henning Bolte writes in the liner notes: "Our ears usually first adhere to the known, the familiar. But they 'squint' to something thrilling, to beautifully disturbing things, something extra to enjoy as listeners. Its attractiveness is strongly related to the quality of the known/unknown interweaving in the music. The sensible pleasure of the four musicians in Miller's Tale offers numerous arousing moments to personally connect with the music."

"...But the two most remarkable concerts of this edition were, in my opinion, those by "Miller's Tale" and Eve Risser's White Desert Orchestra.
"Miller's Tale" is a quartet featuring Sylvie Courvoisier on piano, Mark Feldman on violin, Evan Parker on soprano sax and Ikue Mori on electronics. Their improvised music could shift from subtle, dusty, atmospheric, chamber-like passages to furious chases. It was improvised music at its best. The members of this band are among the greatest living improvisors, but with super-groups of this sort one can never be certain about the outcome: it can sound heavenly or boring as hell... "Miller's Tale" in Saalfelden was unique and magical, a dreamy flow of energy and ideas that truly moved the audience. You could have heard a pin drop, before the thunderous clapping and a generous encore that followed the hour-long concert. (Enrico Bettinello for „All About Jazz“, Sep 15th, 2017)