Koller, Hans - Spiritualise
The difficulty of the opening for baritone sax should not be underestimated. The baritone is geared for the low register and although possessing a potentially vast range sometimes behaves in a rather wild manner at the top. The harmonic language is advanced and exploratory with plenty of contemporary jazz thrust. There's always something slightly funny about a saxophone and piano combo when the style is unashamedly couched in the jazz tradition. It so often feels like we're waiting for a sizzling ride to break through and a bass to start driving ahead. At times the musical material sounds like it ought to be expanded out into big band setting. I feel this with the cherished but ubiquitous Phil Woods Sonata, and more so with this work. There's a nice variety and the baritone plays a grooving accompaniment role quite often in addition to the soaring melody lines. I shall ever be indebted to Hans Koller for a basic jazz piano class I took under him at music college and it's nice to hear interesting jazz piano voices of his own in this piece which became the title track of Andy Tweed's unique 2011 release.