MISHA MENGELBERG — Who's Bridge (review)

MISHA MENGELBERG — Who's Bridge album cover Album · 1994 · Avant-Garde Jazz Buy this album from MMA partners
3.5/5 ·
snobb
Misha Mengelberg was born in Stalinist Kiev, Ukraine (former USSR) into a Jewish musician's family. Fortunately, his family immigrated to Holland before WWII. Misha studied classical music at the Hague Royal Conservatory. While still a student there, he met John Cage and turned to more experimental music. Sometime in the 60s, while playing with Steve Lacy and Eric Dolphy among others, he became a household name in Dutch avant-garde jazz.

"Who's Bridge" is one of his later works in trio format (with Americans Joey Baron and Brad Jones). Misha is in perfect form playing fast angular piano with only the back-up of a rhythm section. On this album he demonstrates the best characteristics of his music - complex techniques mixed with melodic, bluesy tunes and touches of humor here and there. Although being of a very improvisational origin, all of these compositions sound quite accessible and make for pleasant listening. Co-produced by John Zorn and released on the Japanese Avant label, this music has a great acoustic mix and is almost catchy!

Being an expensive Japanese import, this album is as rare as is many other of Mengelberg's works (often released on tiny Dutch or Japanese labels). This is a real shame - he deserves to be much better known around the world.
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