Dietrich Eichmann / Jeff Arnal - The Temperature Dropped Again

[Nate Dorward]

This came in an oddball batch of Leos, mostly kind of underwhelming (in part because I got second dibs on them, so the Gratkowski & Braxton had been already removed.....). Anyway, this is the one that was most worthwhile. It's piano/drums duets; Eichmann started out as an improvisor under the tutelage of Alex von Schlippenbach, then became a composer, then more recently returned to improvising. I've heard one of his compositions, Entre Deux Guerres, which was worthwhile but a bit ponderous (he seems to like to bite off big themes: this one was "about" the wars of the 20th century). Arnal's a past student of Milford Graves. Anyway, this isn't quite like any other piano/drums duo I've heard--actually it reminds me, curiously enough, of Stuart Broomer's lone LP, a duo with drummer John Mars. The materials are often very restricted--there's one piece where Eichmann basically plays one note, bending & stopping it inside the piano--& a curiously tremulous, delicate feeling to the music. The one exception is the last track, a 16-minute improvisation which is fairly by-the-numbers improv & which I found disappointing after the rest. But in general the album's a little out of the usual run of improv duets, & worth hearing. Anyone else hear this & have a reaction to share?

[walto]

I thought it was OK enough to keep. My favorite recent Leo is the one that includes Leandre and M. Maneri though.

[Nate Dorward]

Yeah, that one got left out of my batch too!

[Dan G]

Originally Posted by Nate Dorward

actually it reminds me, curiously enough, of Stuart Broomer's lone LP, a duo with drummer John Mars.

For the record, there's also a Broomer/Bill Smith duo record on Onari.

[Nate Dorward]

Hadn't known of that one! Have you heard it by any chance? -- It's the duo with Mars that Stuart seems proudest of, though--he's particularly fond of one track where the piano's damped down with paper. It's been a while since I played the LP, I should go back & give it another spin--it's a strange disc.

[Dan G]

Yeah, I've got it - I think the title is Conversation Pieces. Haven't played either in years, remember it being OK, but can't really comment much further. I remember preferring the Broomer/Mars record.

Smith never really blew me away on any of his records, with Prentice and Lee saving the trio records. McPhee and Leo Smith brought out the best of all of them.