The premise for this recording is rooted within the prose of the esteemed German writer and poet Rainer Maria Rilke (1875-1926). Here, saxophonist Joachim Gies and mezzo-soprano Ute Doring put Rilke's writings to music. As this outing signifies a bit of a departure from Gies' hardcore, avant-modern jazz, "Not Missing Drums Project," band.
On the opening piece titled "Dem Leise Redenden/To the Silent Talking," Gies commences the festivities with a solemnly rendered solo passage. Unfortunately, even when Gies and Ms. Doring perform together, amid Michael Walz' intermittent "sampling" maneuvers, the mood remains dark, gloomy and icy cold. However, Walz does add some offsetting tonalities to the often-stark proceedings. Besides, you'll need to know your German in order to grasp the librettos. But, the dour qualities and monotonous flow of this set makes for a rather ostentatious listening experience. ~ Glenn Astarita