Albert Mangelsdorff, Arild Andersen, Pierre Favre - Triplicity (2005)

It all came to pass on April 19, 1979 in the broadcasting hall at the NDR studios in Hamburg, Germany. There three seasoned musicians got together for the first and only time in what was to become a memorable encounter. The credit for this 3-nation coup goes to Michael Naura, at that time a jazz editor at NDR, who along with Albert Mangelsdorff had invited Norwegian contrabass player Arild Andersen and Swiss drummer Pierre Favre to a concert that distinguished itself through an unparalled level of spontaneity. That control over the music never gets lost in the process, that moreover perfectly shaped pieces arise from petite motifs in free improvisation turn this concert date into a highly extraordinary event which has lost nothing of its freshness and vitality, not even after all these years. This atmosphere defined by a total relaxedness and mutual musical familiarity allowed frontiers to be transcended that expressed themselves in both virtuosity and an intuitive style of playing. Equally impressive is the way in which unexpected and new elements never heard before from Albert Mangelsdorff flowed so naturally into his playing. For instance, the sounds and lines on "Warbling Warbler", a piece based on birdsong which he had recorded privately at that time and listened to at various speeds: "Sounds I had internalized came out while playing without my having practiced them at all." During his unique career Albert Mangelsdorff took an active part in shaping many developments in jazz. His open-mindedness towards everything new opened up musical horizons to him which allowed him to make a very personal contribution of his own in every context and every line-up. Thanks to his congenial co-players Arild Andersen and Pierre Favre for the way they picked up on ideas and fantasized on them further while adding ideas of their own, this session is yet another of his great moments and a fitting tribute to the great trombonist who passed away recently.

Review
Trombone/bass/drums may not sound like a promising combination, but this is cutting-edge jazz-improv with an idiosycratically buoyant lyicism. -- John Fordham, The Guardian