| In the case of Jump!, the third release on the Intakt label by Swiss soprano saxophonist Jürg Wickihalder, the presence of Irène Schweizer, one of the most consistently provocative and imaginative pianists to emerge from the revolutionary period of the late-'60s, says a great deal about his willingness to explore new avenues of improvisation, while maintaining a healthy, still creative relationship with established jazz traditions. In so doing, he's taking advantage of the best of both worlds. Unintentionally, spontaneously, amusingly, most Monkish – These playful interjections are only a fragment of the true nature of Wickihalder's achievement; when he takes us to surprising new places, the past coexists with the present, nothing is lost, experience is rewarded, and the music lives. (Art Lange) |