''Dortmund Variations'' is an album by British jazz saxophonist

Evan Parker Evan Shaw Parker (born 5 April 1944) is a British tenor and soprano saxophone player who plays free improvisation. Recording and performing prolifically with many collaborators, Parker was a pivotal figure in the development of European free ja ...

and German pianist Georg Gräwe, which was recorded live in 2010 and released on Nuscope. This is the second recording by the duo, their first was '' Unity Variations.''Dortmund Variations''
at Nuscope

Reception

The ''

Down Beat ' (styled in all caps) is an American music magazine devoted to "jazz, blues and beyond", the last word indicating its expansion beyond the jazz realm which it covered exclusively in previous years. The publication was established in 1934 in Chi ...

'' review by Bill Meyer states "It never feels like one is hanging back and supporting the other; their playing is nimble and unhesitant, advancing in quick flurries and elaborately articulated phrases that fit together marvelously even though the music is entirely improvised."Meyer,Bill. ''Dortmund Variations'' review. ''Down Beat'' January 13: page 86. Print. In a review for ''

The New York City Jazz Record ''The New York City Jazz Record'' is a monthly New York City based publication that includes features, reviews and concert announcements regarding jazz music. It is available in print form (black and white hardcopy) as well as online at www.nycjazz ...

'', Andrey Henkin commented: "Graewe skitters around the keyboard and Parker is downright sprightly in his attack, short blasts and trills aplenty. Despite the density of the playing, the tonality is airy and spacious - balladic in spots, in others the musical equivalent of an argument between Oberon and Titania." The Free Jazz Collective's Martin Schray wrote: "Gräwe... is playing counter-rotating lines of incredible velocity especially with his right hand and Parker is winding around these notes as if he and Gräwe were dolphins courting... Parker's deconstructions can be stressful over the length of an hour but listeners dedicated to listening carefully as he follows the improvisational process and those who are willing to delve into Gräwe's fresh complexities will definitely enjoy this album." Ken Waxman, writing for Jazz Word, called the album "an exploration of adversarial keyboard and reed techniques," and commented: "the pleasure derived from this duo is in chronicling the parries and thrusts of each participant as Graewe and Parker come to musical understandings."

Track listing

:''All compositions by Parker/Gräwe'' # "Dortmund Variations I" – 37:03 # "Dortmund Variations II" – 15:37 # "Dortmund Variations III" – 11:00

Personnel

–

tenor sax The tenor saxophone is a medium-sized member of the saxophone family, a group of instruments invented by Adolphe Sax in the 1840s. The tenor and the alto are the two most commonly used saxophones. The tenor is pitched in the key of B (while th ...

*Georg Gräwe –

piano The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keyboa ...

References

{{Authority control 2012 live albums 2012 collaborative albums Evan Parker live albums