From Züri West to Oerlikon
Good news for all those who feared that Oli Kuster had turned his back on jazz music for good: no need to worry! Indeed, with his Kombo, the Bernese maverick has created an unpretentious musical gem consisting entirely of original compositions. Its mix of chamber-music finesse and artful manoeuvres will tickle the listener's ears in the most beautiful way. For almost five years, the Züri West rock group benefited from Kuster's sound-tinkering creativity. But now, Kuster has returned to the piano, ending up in Oerlikon with his new acoustic combo. The selection of the band members creates both intimacy (Kuster is indeed no higher-faster-louder kind of guy) and drive (Kuster has a predilection for swinging and at the same time stumbling odd measures). Jürg Bucher proves that he has got a strong lyrical vein not only when playing the tenor saxophone but also on the clarinet. With Bucher's quartet, Kuster had recorded a wonderful tribute to Herbie Nichols before his jazz sabbatical. Bassist Lorenz Beyeler and drummer Dominic Egli know very well when it is appropriate to exercise noble restraint and when to release the handbrake. Kuster, the first among equals, is brilliant, not least because of renouncing razzmatazz stereotypes. He's an original pianist, who cavorts in an extremely subtle way. On one track («Mirror, Mirror»), singer Nadja Stoller joins Kuster's Kombo.

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