Depart live at Northern German Broadcast/ Hamburg 2009

Photo © by: Francesca Pfeffer

Harry Sokal (sax)
Heiri Känzig (b)
Jojo Mayer (dr)

recorded live at Rolf-Liebermann-Studio, Hamburg, December 17 & 18, 2009

1. Mountain Messenger (Heiri Känzig)
2. Slice Of Bread (Heiri Känzig)
3. Magic Transition (Harry Sokal)
4. Less We Can (Harry Sokal/ Jojo Mayer)
5. Drei im Quadrat (Harry Sokal/ Heiri Känzig)
6. Du liebä Bueb vom Ämmital (Trad./ Arr. Heiri Känzig)

When Reloaded (ACT 9453-2) came out in 2006, it was hailed as “comeback album of the year”. In reality, the trio has more or less gone in a new direction. Part of the reason has been Jojo Mayer, the onetime substitute for Studer who has permanently taken over from his landsman. There had been a recent flowering of the piano trio that either revisits the romanticism of a Bill Evans or runs in the direction of pop. This triumvirate cleared away all the dead brush with their cascading powerhouse style. Almost one and a half year after Reloaded, Depart encapsulates this style with Mountain Messenger. The powerful group dynamic is even more impressive, as indicated by the fact that many of the pieces are cooperatively composed and arranged. Three instruments, three musical destinies, three extremely different sets of experiences meld into a single indissoluble impression. There are no interminable solos over the usual patterns here – the three are continually interacting, feeding each other new lines.