Cafe Eclectic

Max Nagl's debut album as a leader, the 1997 Leo Records CD Daily Bullet, left a few critics in shock. The raw, raging free improvisations conveyed a disturbing essence. Café Electric, his first of many releases for the then-new November Music label, shows a completely different side of the saxophonist. First, the material is thoroughly composed. Second, it is lighter, more listener-friendly, and varied. The first nine pieces form a cycle of sorts, as they are all inspired by heroines from German silent films of the 1920s (works of Pabst, Lang, and Murnau are referenced a few times). The last four tracks, although not explicitly linked to cinema, follow similar stylistic guidelines and are performed by the same lineup: Nagl, violinist Joanna Lewis, pianist Josef Novotny, bassist Achim Tang, and drummer Patrice Heral. The somber atmospheres from some of the composer's favorites movies permeate the music, empowering it with a force of evocation. These passages, of which the ten-minute "Nosferatu" constitutes a highlight, are counterbalanced by dancing moments, energetic outbursts, and circus-like interludes. Nagl's music constantly oscillates between burlesque and tenderness, between lively and bleak. The jazz noir of "Die Freudlose Gasse," the warped tango "Stumm," and the episodic punkish explosions in "M-abuse" all bring treasured highlights. Nagl's avant-garde jazz will please fans of Jean Derome's quirkier projects and French jazzmen like Claude Tchamitchian. Café Electric illustrates a strong artistic vision that will become even clearer two years later on the brilliant CD The Evil Garden. ~ François Couture|