From clarinetist to clarinetist – I listened to it briefly and immediately noticed,

to understand this music you need time, you can’t just listen to it casually.

So – this days I listened to the CD for the third time and that was more than necesarry!

For the first time I asked myself – why this gloomy picture, why this sadness, this melancholy…?

And then more and more I discovered the dramaturgy in the music – in profound, moving ballads.

Yes, the ballad play,  that is Harry Skoler‘s strength, with soft, round tone in Chalumeau Register, mistily, veiled… he is a great ballad player!

Impressive the floating sound, the fragile rhythm – I love it, just not stomp and superfluous notes play…

The sidemans are great, they understand Mr. Skoler’s  Intuition and can fallow him. They all have the simple and eternally valid Miles Davis saying in mind – Play not the Instrument, Play the Music –

I have some favorites of course – track 6/14, wonderful played, fantastic atmosphere and pianist Christian Sand  – track 4, abstract, great theme and great trumpet player ( Marquis Hill ) – track 5 drums & clarinet, complementary, very stylisch with drummer Jonathan Blake – track 13, fine harmonica and bass player ( Gregoire Maret & Dezron Douglas ) and yes – don’t forget the great Joel Ross on vibes.

I can only congratulate Harry on his choice of musicians, each one better then the other!

The disc will definitely go into my car player!

RED BRICK HILL / Harry Skoler  (Sunnyside Records, 2024)

1. Last Star, Last Night
2. NanCee
3. Ascent
4. Blue, Mostly
5. Abyss
6. Last Star, Last Night
7. Apple Hands
8. Beneath Bequeath
9. harbinger
10. here.still.
11. Red Brick Hill
12. furthering
13. still.here.
14. Last Star, Last Night

Credits:

Harry Skoler: clarinet;
Joel Ross: vibraphone;
Dezron Douglas: bass;
Johnathan Blake: drums
Guests - Christian Sands: piano (#6);
Marquis Hill: trumpet (#4);
Grégoire Maret: harmonica (#13).