| Discography of Joe Fonda | 2003 |
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Lineup
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Recorded by Willi Leopold on March 11, 2003 live at the B-Flat in Berlin, Germany
Recording Supervisor: Wolfgang Hoff
Cover Paintings: Robert Weber • Cover Design: Double Take Design
Produced by Conference Call and Ulf Drechsel for RBB Berlin and 482 Music
Released 2004 by 482 Music [482-1028]
Little Pete's Diner written for Tina Barr
Thanks to: Jos Demol, Berber, Emile Clemens, Rik Bevernage,
Jörg Zieprig, Horst Papeler, Ulf Drechsel, Die Holzbläser, Berlin
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CD Reviews
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By Chris Kelsey for Jazz Times I can't help but contrast the playing of Gebhard Ullmann on Spirals: The Berlin Concert (482) with that of Ivo Perelman. Like Perelman, Ullmann can walk the altissimo high wire, but he doesn't live up there. He knows when to come down. Conference Call is a cooperative consisting of the multireedist Ullmann, pianist Michael Jefrey Stevens, bassist Joe Fonda and drummer George Schuller. Ullmann's tenor work on the opener, Schuller's tune "Comeuppance," shows how there's more to free jazz than manic intensity; getting from note to note in a coherent manner can be just as important. Joe Fonda is one of the more clean-toned bassists around; his improvised introduction and subsequent solo on Ullmann's "Dreierlei" is attractively direct. His doubling of the melody with Ullmann on soprano sax is also very nicely done. Stevens plays with a rolling, tuneful momentum. Even his fleetest passages sing. Schuller is a graceful, swinging drummer, always tasteful and capable of driving a band without overwhelming it. Conference Call as a whole swings with a gleeful impetuosity that's hard if not impossible to dislike. Kinda sounds like what the late '60s Miles Davis band might have become had they stayed the course. Source: Countercurrents section from the May 2004 issue of JazzTimes All reviews written by Chris Kelsey:
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April 5, 2004 by David Dupont for One Final Note With their own ensemble, the Fonda-Stevens Group, pianist Michael Jefry Stevens and bassist Joe Fonda are masters of the art of spontaneous composition. They take the sparest material and expand it into a multi-part performance. With Conference Call, a cooperative group with drummer George Schuller and saxophonist Gebhard Ullmann, they work the same magic using mostly material by their two cohorts. The opening track, Schuller's "Comeuppance", is built around a slight figure, three notes twisted and turned followed by a half-octave drop that's like that last unexpected stair. Stevens comes on first and shapes his whole solo, reworking and revoicing variations on the figure with Monk-like focus. Ullmann creeps back in, slowly building intensity before the piano and bass drop out, leaving just tenor saxophone and drums ricocheting figures off each other. Fonda picks up where Stevens leaves off, echoing Schuller's simple theme, dramatically slapping it out with a tone as thick as his own New York accent. This piece sets the tone for the 70-minute long recital. And the performance as a whole is as finely shaped as any of the individual selections with "Little Pete's Diner", a free form tango by Stevens, serving as a break from the intensity of the opening two numbers. Ullmann's aptly titled bass clarinet feature "Translucent Tones" contrasts with the density of the earlier interplay while also setting up Schuller's "No Hazmats". The composer opens with a drum solo that builds from a simple cymbal beat and rattling bells to a polyrhythmic onslaught. No matter how complex the rhythms get, Schuller maintains that quarter note stroke on his ride cymbal. Does he do everything else with just one hand? It's the kind of performance I'd love to actually see. The solo leads to Schuller's agitated, atonal, rapid-fire theme that runs through several variations before launching his bandmates into unrelenting solos. Even the middle section of the program — Fonda's brief political commentary on the political personalities of certain Bush officials followed by a vocal outburst — plays its part in the overall performance though it doesn't wear well on repeated listenings. That, however, can't be said of the rest of this set, which rewards any number of subsequent visits. Reprinted with permission. Copyright © 2006 One Final Note and David Dupont. All reviews written by David Dupont:
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March 3, 2004 by Jerry D'Souza for All About Jazz Hey, come on over and listen in to a Conference Call. There have been two well worth listening to in the past. As before, there is a new drummer in tow, George Schuller coming in place of Matt Wilson, who in turn had replaced Han Bennink. Sure, Wilson and Bennink have individualistic styles, but don't turn a deaf ear: Schuller's approach stokes the rhythm and the guys up front continue to be in fine fettle. The initial probe is set by Joe Fonda on the bass and Gebhard Ullmannn takes that strain on the tenor sax in wistful undulation before Michael Jefry Stevens lets his piano stamp the harmonic line that gradually powers in intensity, an urgent essaying of the melodic landscape which is dotted by Schuller on the offbeat. It coalesces in a dark, moody ambit, the punctuation of Stevens going against the shifting images of Ullmann with his honks, wails and linear transformations. "Comeuppance?" Sure, if it means a heady, heated happening! The approach to "Dreierlei" is more open-ended. The pace is deliberate at the outset, with Fonda setting the tempo, he has a wonderful solo spot on which he engages in a little dialogue with himself, against the bustle of Schuller. Stevens pulls in a sparkling array of notes and Ullmann bides his time, his soprano at first an airy flirt but later, a cutting swath, embedding deeply etched lines and augmenting them with loopy ones. The mood changes to a sombre one on "Translucent Tones." Stevens brings in a serene, almost fragile ministration, with Ullmannn cutting edge against the grain first on the bass clarinet and then on the tenor. It is appropriate that this song follows "Three" where truth and turmoil gather. More power to Fonda and the band for their stand! Reprinted with permission. Copyright © 2006 All About Jazz and Jerry D'Souza. All reviews written by Jerry D'Souza:
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May 8, 2004 by Mike Baker for Splendid I don't know much about modern jazz and even less about improvisation, but I know what I like...and I'm not sure what I think about Conference Call. This "super-group", comprised of Gebhard Ullmann, Michael Jefry Stevens, Joe Fonda and George Schuller, will certainly remind most untrained ears of John Coltrane's late period histrionics. My own ears are untrained, and I found this live recording to be... erm... lively, if not consistent in its ability to entertain me. There are flashes of brilliance here that will be recognized by the numbest of skulls, particularly the sprightly outro to "Comeuppance". The cooler-than-you middle section of "Dreierlei" sort of reminds me of John Lurie's stuff, though I'm only mildly familiar with his work. The out-of-place political statements made in "Announcement" and "Three" derail the proceedings, though the subsequent "Translucent Tones (Gestalt in Three)" gets everything back on track, rolling out a lovely chime intro and a disarmingly beautiful section with brushed drums and a tittering piano line. The album ends with a manic crescendo in the dying breaths of "No Hazmats", but even the uninitiated (i.e. yours truly) have come to know that there is no other way to end this sort of exercise, and I rather enjoyed it. Reprinted with permission. Copyright © 2006 Splendid and Mike Baker. |
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Scott Yanow for All Music Guide Conference Call is a quartet comprised of adventurous and versatile musicians, each of whom are also talented composers. For their Berlin concert, Conference Call mostly plays the first "three" lengthy compositions continuously. The episodic music includes some stirring sections to "Dreierlei" (although it ends inconclusively) and a memorable tango, "Little Pet's Diner," that is always close to the edge. Gebhard Ullmann is fine on bass clarinet and soprano but particularly expressive on tenor. "The Announcement" is a rant against the invasion of Iraq by the U.S. and "Three" continues the mood with a verbal improvisation leading into some violent group interplay. The quiet "Translucent Tones" (with Ullmann on bass clarinet) is an effective contrast and precedes the intense "No Hazmats." All in all, this is a stimulating date and nearly everything works, with each of the musicians (who include pianist Michael Jefry Stevens, bassist Joe Fonda, and drummer George Schuller) having their feature spots. Reprinted with permission. Copyright © 2006 All Media Guide, LLC and Scott Yanow. All reviews written by Scott Yanow:
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September 11, 2004 by Josef Engels for Rondo Von Gebhard Ullmann kann man stets das Unvorhersehbare erwarten. Mehr als 20 CDs liegen von dem zwischen Brooklyn und Berlin pendelnde Musiker inzwischen vor; mit höchst unterschiedlichen Besetzungen - vom Klarinetten-Trio bis hin zum Tentett - beschreitet er beständig neue Wege abseits ausgetretener Avantgarde-Pfade. Natürlich: damit macht es Ullmann dem Hörer nicht gerade einfach. Die dritte Aufnahme seines Viererbundes Conference Call gibt dafür ein gutes Beispiel. Stehvermögen und volle Konzentration sind vonnöten, um den bis zu 20 Minuten langen Stücken, die das Quartett im März 2003 im Berliner Jazz-Club B-Flat vorstellte, bis in ihre letzten Windungen nachvollziehen zu können. Doch die Mühe lohnt sich. Denn obgleich Ullmann, Pianist Michael Jefry Stevens, Bassist Joe Fonda und Schlagzeuger George Schuller unerschrocken gegen die Konventionen anwüten, agieren sie im Kern auf der Basis von strengen Kompositionsprinzipien. Mal ist es eine afrikanisch anmutende Melodie (wie in Ullmanns "Dreierlei"), mal ein dämonisches Vier-Ton-Motiv (wie im Opener "Comeuppance" von Schuller), mal eine brachiale Tango-Form (wie in Stevens' "Little Pete's Diner") aus dem das transatlantische Bündnis den Formenvorrat für seine ausgedehnten Improvisationen bezieht. Da fällt nichts auseinander, alles stützt sich gegenseitig. Und Ullmann bläst auf Bassklarinette, Tenor- und Sopransaxofon mit seiner kluger Entrücktheit stellenweise das Blaue aus dem Himmel über Berlin. Selbst seine grimmigen Growls und überspannten Überblaser sind von einer seltenen Zartheit. Das ist die Freiheit, die John Coltrane meinte. Reprinted with permission. Copyright © 2006 Rondo and Josef Engels. |
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Christian Bakonyi for Jazz Zeit Nr. 45 "Der Name 'Conference Call' geht darauf zurück, dass Michael Jefry Stevens,p, Joe Fonda,b, und ich notgedrungen viel miteinander telephonieren - eine richtige Konferenzschaltung ist es allerdings nicht, meist gibt der Dritte von hinten seine Kommentare ab", erzählt Saxophonist Gebhard Ullmann, der seit 1983 in Berlin lebt, aber auch einen Zweitwohnsitz in New York hat. In Berlin wurde auch die vorliegende CD letzten März live mitgeschnitten. Diesmal ist am Schlagzeug George Schuller mit von der Partie (in den Jahren zuvor waren es Matt Wilson und Han Bennink). 'Spirals', das Berlin Concert, darf man zur Jazz Avantgarde zählen, und trotzdem ist es in vielen Abschnitten auch für den Nicht-Free-Jazz-Hörer interessant. Conference Call kommunizieren und improvisieren, entwickeln mitunter Melodien, die an die Zeit Bechets erinnern, und haben auch Einflüsse von ihrer Afrika-Tournee mitgebracht. "Three", von Bassist Joe Fonda, setzt sich mit den politischen Hintegründen des Irak Kriegs auseinander aber auch spannend-entspannendes wird dargeboten. Rundum ein packendes Album für aufgeschlossene Jazz-Hörer! Reprinted with permission. Copyright © 2006 jazzzeit.at and Christian Bakonyi. |
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Christian Carey for The Daily Copper Jazz quartet Conference Call, comprised of saxophonist Gebhard Ullmann, pianist Michael Jefry Stevens, bassist Joe Fonda and drummer George Schuller, seems to change record labels every album. Thankfully, one thing that they don't change on their third full length, Spirals - the Berlin Concert, is their prodigious level of playing. Tracks like Schuller's "Comeuppance" brim with melodic interplay, with everyone imitating and trading motivic material. Ullmann's composition, "Dreierlei," is a showcase for the saxophonist's soprano-playing, which encompasses everything from fierce squalls to panache-imbued flourishes. Stevens' "Little Pete's Diner" starts out conventionally enough as a sultry tango, but Ullmann has a bit of fun playing spoiler, bringing the dance over to the avant side of the equation with throaty rasps and wild runs. "No Hazmats" is a forceful extended piece, which gives each member a chance to solo, as well as supplying several stentorian tutti. Copyright © 2007 The Daily Copper and Christian Carey. All reviews written by Christian Carey:
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