Johannes Luebbers Dectet - Divide and Conquer (2021)

Divide and Conquer is the fourth album by Melbourne based composer Johannes Luebbers’ Dectet (JLD). The album marks the end of an ambitious 10 x 10 x 10 project, spanning 10 works in 10 years for 10 players. The album is the second and final installment of the project, featuring five wildly original tracks and some of Luebbers’ best work. The group showcases some of Australia’s most exciting soloists including pianist Andrea Keller, trumpeter Paul Williamson and saxophonist Angela Davis.

Divide and Conquer follows the release of Other Worlds in 2019 and features the second five compositions of the suite, each dedicated to a different soloist within the group. “The 10 x 10 x 10 project resulted from a longstanding interest in collaboration,” says Luebbers. “I wanted to explore how compositions can be seeded from my perception of a performer, rather than developed from my own ideas. Each piece used a starting point based upon the listening habits, musical loves and technical interests of the featured soloist. I then built a compositional world around this. As a result, the music was infused with a wider variety of reference points - more than just my own. Even if the resulting music was at times unexpected, I hope each performer saw a little piece of themselves in the work's soul.”

The title track Divide and Conquer, featuring tenor saxophonist Michael Wallace, leaps around the horn in a playful Balkan inspired melody. Stepping Stones, featuring alto saxophonist Angela Davis, creates a deft sense of inevitability as it gently weaves through unexpected harmonies. In contrast, Jack O’Lantern, featuring trumpeter Paul Williamson, plays with expansions and contractions of time, developing a theme that emphasises the textural possibilities of Williamson’s horn and provides ample space for the kind of ensemble interaction he thrives on.

Hosh Posh stands out among JLD’s repertoire, departing from Luebbers’ typically controlled notation and instead embracing a loose sense of freedom in which featured bassist Hiroki Hoshino shines. The album rounds things out with Contrarian, a feature for pianist Andrea Keller that takes inspiration from her love of Arvo Pärt, in turn provoking an inspired solo from Keller and some of the most magical moments on the album.

Winner of the 2011 ‘Young Australian Jazz Artist of the Year’ (Australian Jazz ‘Bell’ Awards) and the 2011 ‘Jazz Work of the Year’ (APRA/AMC Art Music Awards), Johannes Luebbers has established himself as one of Australia’s most distinctive jazz composers. Supported by the Australia Council for the Arts and Monash University, Divide and Conquer is the fourth studio album with his ensemble, the Johannes Luebbers Dectet (JLD). Throughout his career he has been the recipient of numerous other awards including the 2009 ‘Youth Arts West Australian Citizen of the Year’, 2009 ‘Best Australian Jazz Composition of the Year’ (Bell Awards), 2008 ‘Jazz Song of the Year’ (WA Music Industry Awards), the 2006 ‘APRA Professional Development Award’ for jazz and in 2018 was a finalist for the APRA/AMC Jazz Work of the Year. In addition to his creative practice, Luebbers is an active educator and researcher and is currently Convenor of Composition and Music Technology at the Sir Zelman Cowen School of Music, Monash University.

"An innovative new body of work… a highly creative, stylistic and edifying album of music featuring some of the country’s best improvisers."
★★★★★ Fine Music Sydney - review of Other Worlds (2020)

“...layer upon layer of richly bladed sectional coatings underneath exciting solos... ” Limelight Magazine - Review of The Exquisite Corpse of Beethoven (2011)

“Without Fear of Wind or Vertigo is the track on the album where the hybrid really comes to life: and a beautifully lithe and subtly hued creature it is.” Australianjazz.net - Review of The Exquisite Corpse of Beethoven (2011)

“Johannes’s music is music of great substance and should be heard by all who want more from music than an instant hit and not much else. In a word, it is exceptional.” Dr Tony Gould AM - liner notes to Make Some Noise (2009)