Jilman Zilman – Das Zweite und Letzte Album
(In Gute Haende. CD Review by Peter Slavid)

One of the challenges of listening to some of the more obscure European music is that it isn’t always easy to get hold of. This interesting album, the curious title of which means ‘the second and last album,’ came out a few months back since when I have finally been able to listen to some tracks on Soundcloud and to a few others on a “teaser” CD. And its grown on me. It’s available now on vinyl and as download although I’m not aware of there being a CD version.

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Tilman Herpichböhm is a 30 year old German drummer and composer with a background in rock music and an avowed fan of John Zorn’s Masada – his graduation concert only four years ago was dedicated to Zorn. The band was nominated for the New German Jazz Award 2013 and came in second place for the International Jazz Award Burghausen 2013.

The Zorn link shows in the music but without the overt middle-eastern links. Like Masada the music is very melodic and it switches easily between standard post-bop and eastern and Balkan rhythms – but the improvisation can be fierce. The two Alto players complement each other nicely sometimes providing background noises sometimes playing in tandem.

I particularly liked the moody Wipfel, Gipfel Zipfel and the opening track Faltenbalk which starts out rather like a typical klezmer tune but then develops some really nice interplay between the two altos – and a decent bass solo. (neither my German nor Google translate are able to tell if the titles have any great significance).

I think this is a young band worth watching and it would be nice to see them in London.

Tilman Herpichböhm: Drums
Julian Bossert: alto saxophone
Johannes Ludwig: alto saxophone
Peter Christof: double bass