Review | Edgar Knecht Colours of Europe

No Europudding of a compromise this. The luxuriance and warmth of the chamber jazz vision of Europe summoned up in bespoke fashion by pianist Edgar Knecht and chums proves rather touching.

I am smitten by ‘Beautiful Countries’ to begin with. It is so luminous, romantic, and paints a picture.

We are talking chamber jazz. If in the business of shelf stacking and labelling these wares under convenient soundbites you might also bravely sticker these as cafe jazz or, steady now, old horse – Eurojazz.

Knecht surrounds himself with accordion, double bass and drums at the album’s core. Till Spohr – said wielder of the bass – reminds me insistently a bit of the brilliant Swede Lars Danielsson in approach. And accordionist Luciano Biondini from Italy is as dramatic as French icon Richard Galliano, certainly on the enchanting opener which is a Knecht composition and of which there are lots that EK penned on the album.

But heck, I was a bit scared that the rest would be a disappointment. ‘Catcher in the Rye’ isn’t. It makes use of modular synth and a jaunty staccato motif that Christoph Pepe Auer on bass clarinet tooters along to and takes a nice gloom tube solo which isn’t at all mournful but nicely droopy and lovable instead.

I don’t find the use of the blunt modular synth “tinny”. Some might. But the very audacity of the cheeky thought makes me think of that very funny Monty Python sketch where a posh lady is triggered by the word “tinny.”

“Daughter: Ugh! – dreadful tin things.

Mother: I did tell her to stick to wood.” – Monty Python

Really, Mansfield – well she’s got to come to terms with these things: That metallic this time modular not tinny or woody but “seemly” to reiterate of course synth sound of Edgar’s recurs on ‘Arturiana’ in the process mining new territory.

But this time the instrument introduced in addition is Spanish guitar played by Pau Figueres whose dark, dappled, Mediterranean approach is clearly an Iberian interlude of no little merit. Again it’s a Knecht tune and a winner.

A live version of the rather lovely ‘Ballade Imaginaire’ – Edgar Knecht (p, synth) with Till Spohr (b) and Tobias Schulte (d) playing the Kassel Kulturzeit event in 2024. The Colours of Europe album version has delicious flugelhorn sewn into its meticulous fabric played by Frederik Köster and is even more satisfying.

Frederik Köster / NDR Bigband, K on the Shore, Traumton

I reviewed Köster’s K on the Shore, a highly recommendable collaboration with the NDR Big Band, on marlbank last year.

Time for a word or two on the Kassel based Knecht as one necks down all these pleasant instrumentals glugging these inscrutably perhaps at first as you might quizzically guzzle a dribble or two of peach schnapps uncertainly. Go on then.

A German who lectures at the university in Kassel, Knecht, 62, hails from Winterberg and is classically trained and in jazz studied with Klaus Ignatzek.

Knecht’s technical setup often includes a patented “Pizzicato Pedal,” a mechatronic device that allows him to dampen piano strings to create unique, harp-like textures. Also on this record is percussionist Tobias Schulte who is a little Joey Baron-like.

‘Main Bridge’ next I confess I skipped after a few minutes. But I was more reluctant to do the same on ‘Ballade Imaginaire,’ the accordion leading ‘Tarantola’ or ‘Still’. The rest after the glorious opener does not disappoint but none of the other tunes are as instantly convincing. That “pizzicato pedal,” is far more than a gimmick and works so well on ‘Beautiful Countries.’

According to the label Colours of Europe is “a love letter to the cultural diversity of Europe and at the same time a passionate plea for international understanding and a united Europe.” Couldn’t agree more with the sentiment.

It touches on folk songs from France, Austria, Italy, Spain and Germany. There’s a strong jazz language to these renderings.

Apparently Knecht has been beavering away with the overall pretty stirring “project” fast approaching a couple of decades (meaning the sense of “broader concept” possibly – he can’t be that sloth-like, can he?). This version of the core trio is relatively new.

– Available from the GLM label.