Review by Ettore Garzia

In the laboratory of Leo Records German saxophonist Joachim Gies has certainly had an important place: after doing work experience in the Cecil Taylor Workshop Ensemble, a forge designed to enhance German young jazz talents, Gies began to explore further prospects of improvisation; the Leo Lab allowed him to have eminent collaborators of improvised and contemporary music (Lauren Newton, Ute Doring, Joelle Leandre, etc.)., Gies has set up a project, "Not Missing Drums project", in which he amalgamated the various stylistic settings of some musicians with the clear idea of building his own musical identity: with real contemporary "repechages", references to drama and modern singing, Eastern acting and many unconventional playing techniques, Gies has established his definitive expression that was, I would say, somewhat underestimated. With regard to his instrument, in a beautiful solo in 2001, "Whispering Blue," Gies has also tried to show how metal tubes, mutes, mouthpieces and effects of live electronics should lead to the creation of meaning, beyond the normal production of good sounds. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.