As the rhythmic detonator of Otis Sandsjö’s transgressive Y-Otis, Berlin-based drummer-composer Tilo Weber (b. 1990) commands immediate respect. Tesserae is only his second album as leader, and amongst its many remarkable qualities it somehow connects the dots between Sandsjö’s eclectic entourage and the relatively conventional chamber-jazz manoeuvres of Weber’s Four Fauns quartet.
Joined by the redoutable Petter Eldh and rising star Elias Stemeseder, who both played with Weber in the original Y-Otis line-up, the obvious thing might have been to record as a conventional piano trio. Yet Weber was clearly having none of that, each musician instead bringing an instrument which is not their primary voice. For Weber it was the vibraphone, Eldh the acoustic guitar, and Stemeseder the celesta and harpsichord. The result is a delightfully opulent neo-baroque fantasia which frequently assaults the senses.
All of the compositions are Weber’s, though for the most part the material is developed collectively in the heat of performance. The opening Time Traveler’s Vessel showcases Stemseder’s surprisingly nimble harpsichord, Weber and Eldh’s rhythmic patterns becoming ever more dense as the piece unfolds. A similar approach carries through to the many complex twists of Worn Not Weary, while Entrope Nestled is a slightly more agitated reprise of the opener.
Elsewhere Stemeseder’s synth adds a futuristic veneer to modal groover Nacre Nacre and the Sun Ra-esque In Epitaxy, while the enigmatically titled In Rapture And Rubble is a proper rhythmic firecracker. Schnabel‘s Dolphy-esque flute is prominently featured on the processional Sacre Sacre, and she pops up again on Soul Redoubled, where this time it’s her astringent alto that truly makes the heart sing.
Musical fragments from across the centuries dramatically collide and recombine, and amidst the glorious chaos Weber stakes out his place amongst the cream of the next generation.
Discography
Time Traveler’s Vessel; Worn Not Weary; Nacre Nacre; In Epitaxy; Entrope Nestled; In Rapture and Rubble; Sacre Sacre; Soul Redoubled (36.24)
Weber (d, pc, vib) with Elias Stemeseder (harpsichord, celesta, syn); Petter Elder (b, g), Anna-Lena Schnabel (as, f) on 7 & 8, Bastian Duncker (ney) on 8. Potsdam-Babelsberg, no date.
We Jazz Records WJ CL/LP 53
