Killing The Mozzarella

Braskiri

„Craziness“ is what the four gentelman from Braskiri themselves call it That hits the nail on the head for Killing the Mozzarella, the debut album of the new formation of trumpet player Bert Lochs and pianist Dirk Balthaus, on which they brilliantly set the Jazz tradition alight.

Braskiri is the continuation of the trio Lochs, Balthaus, Herskedal. The last mentioned tuba player left the band and was replaced by Steffen Granly, also from Norway. Drummer Wim Kegel was asked to join the band to allow the rhythms of Balthaus and Granly to shine and to groove.

These appear to be fruitful choices. One minute Granly is passionately grooving, then he wanders lyrically and lonely, or pumps happily as if a brass band has intervened into Lochs‘ compositions. Lochs is also not ashamed to conjure filthy patterns out of his trumpet, but he mostly impresses with his melodic, lyrical lines on top of the uncommon rhythmic structures, which are freely balanced by the drummer Wim Kegel.

Balthaus‘ piano playing supports, connects and develops, rooted in traditional as well as free playing, as in Uncloud.

The power of Braskiri lies in the interaction, whereby the law of freedom rules and a bundling of wacky ideas and raw energy constantly provides new surprises. Lochs, Balthaus, Kegel and Granly are highly skilled instrumentalists who tease and chase each other, but who are also able to caress as in the beautiful Elegy, where the Norwegian sings through his tuba while playing root notes which makes the brass sound like a didgeridoo. Craziness.