Bassist Wilber Morris’ contribution to contemporary jazz is still being documented, after his death. Such a rich career certainly deserves that attention. The idea for this trio came from the mind of Alfred Harth, a German (now living in South Korea) saxophonist, composer, improviser, and visual artist. He invited Morris and a drummer of Morris’s preference to form a trio. The choice couldn’t have been more fitting: Kevin Norton, a new presence then but now mainstay of the New York scene. This is indeed an uncommon band. Harth is active in the experimental field with projects defined by the influences of jazz, rock, and contemporary classical music, exemplified by his associations with Heiner Goebbels and by the band he co-founded, Cassiber and nowadays with Otomo Yoshihide.
He wanted to return to his roots of free jazz. Wilber Morris seemed to him the ideal companion to do this, and Norton represented the bridge between the worlds of avant-jazz and experimental music. The first CD of this not-as-strange-as-you-may-think combination was Clean Feed’s “waxwebwind@ebroadway.” This new release documents a memorable concert. The music boils, faithful to the tradition it comes from, but with a twist that refreshes it and adds another dimension to everything that happens. “Live at Vision Festival VI” turns the page and envisions the future. |