CD ECM Records Julia Hulsmann Quartet: In Full View

2010

Julia Hulsmann - pian
Marc Muellbauer - contrabas
Heinrich Kbberling - tobe
Tom Arthurs - trompeta

‘In Full View’ ups the ante, expanding Hülsmann's trio to a quartet with the addition of British trumpeter Tom Arthurs. Continuing ‘Imprint's more outgoing direction has not come at the expense of the gentle elegance endemic to the trio's ECM debut; instead, Arthurs' voice expands the group's reach without losing anything carved out since Hülsmann's move to the label.

It's hard not to feel ex-ECM alum (and fellow UK-resident) Kenny Wheeler's influence—not just on Arthurs' playing, but in the quartet's overall engagement. Avoiding Wheeler's signature intervallic/stratospheric leaps but referencing the Canadian expat trumpeter's rich tone and melancholic approach to lyricism, Arthurs' broader interest in contemporary classicism and Afro-centric music afford the younger trumpeter his own specificity.

Some of the vibe from Wheeler's early ECM recordings – in particular the similarly configured, award-winning ‘Gnu High’ (1976) – imbues Hülsmann's quartet, especially on drummer Heinrich Köbberling's ‘Forever Old’, which manages to swing gently despite being in 5/4, and an initially darker, rubato piano/trumpet intro that leads to bassist Muellbauer's similarly odd-metered but smoothly flowing and gradually intensifying ‘Meander’, its simmering pulse strengthened by the bassist's robust foundation and Köbberling's subtle shadings.

Arthurs' episodic ‘Forgotten Poetry’ is also underscored by a Wheeler connection, its deceptively simple melody weaving through some change-heavy balladry, time briefly contracting and expanding before settling into some understated interplay between Arthurs and Hülsmann until the trumpeter removes himself, ultimately leaving the pianist to ruminate over Muellbauer and Köbberling's firm yet pliant support. [...] Beyond the obvious addition of a fourth voice, there's a stronger sense of effortless collective aplomb on ‘In Full View’.
John Kelman, AllAboutJazz