Samuel Blaser Consort in Motion - A Mirror To Machaut (2013) Hi Res

In their second release, celebrated Berlin-based Swiss trombonist’s Euro-American band find common ground between avant jazz and the sophisticated court music of medieval masters Machaut and Dufay. Blaser takes a varied approach to the material, from faithful transcriptions to recompositions that freely adapt formal elements of the originals. The band members, long recognized for their contributions to jazz and beyond, play with a relaxed refinement that occasionally erupts in joyful abandon. Benoît Delbecq’s glowing audiophile production and Blaser’s colorful arrangements establish a continuity of mood and feeling that gives the record broad appeal. Blaser is ranked #7 on the Downbeat Critics Poll this year for trombone (August issue).

“...brilliantly realized…[Blaser] reaches back to Italian composers of the Baroque and Renaissance, recontextualizing centuries-old themes and melodies via modern improvisation, more an act of resurrection than archaeology.” (Sean Brady, Downbeat)

“Fearlessly modern, yet respectfully regal, Blaser's adventurous arrangements and reinterpretations offer the best of both worlds…Consort in Motion is a high-water mark in the enduring lineage of the Third Stream.” (Troy Collins, AllAboutJazz)

“...a complete modern master of his instrument.” (Robert Iannapollo, NYC Jazz Record)