Press:
- As most of the reviews are originallly written in German this is just small representative selection in English -
“In his compositions Sund combines classical figurations, folkloristic influences and modern Jazz harmony into his own playful and emotional musical language far away from dry academism or extravagant free jazz ambitions.“
Westfalian Press
“Modern, colorful and creative jazz on the edge, determined by exciting arrangements and the spirit of musical quest.”
Jazzpodium
"Tim Sund: lyrical, adventurous contemporary swing, atmospheric, compelling grooves, inspired, evocative rhapsodic and real passion. Recommended."
Cadence-Magazine, Canada
As Dark As The Sun
“As Dark As The Sun“ is an album that has the courage to leave the tradional roads. This is jazz as jazz can be, strong structures but also unlimited freedom.”
Jazzflits, NL, Mai 06
“Tim Sund is intoxicated. Even the smallest nuances are well-balanced and clear. Sund drifts along, plays with details and ornamentations that fascinate by their crystal clear quality.”
Jazzthing, April/Mai 06
“A tour through the solo pianism of contemporary jazz and moreover a personal contribution to it.”
***** Music *****Sound
FonoForum & Stereo, Juni 06
A congenial synthesis of the composer and the improvising pianist.
Ulf Drechsel, Kulturadio Berlin, Mai 06
“The material Sund is putting together here shows creative greatness. His power to shape and structure reveals artistic maturity. He leaves space in his improvisations and let his playing grow stronger, when the drama of the music is asking for it. His playing can drift along with repetitive patterns, can break out impulsively and glide freely until it is caught again, can enchant with its lyricism, is always exciting and is evident emotion coming from the artist´s soul.” Jazzpodium, Juli/August 06
Trialogue and Americana
“Trialogue“ presents Sund in a trio setting with bassist Martin Lillich and drummer Michael Kersting. Sund proves to be an expressive pianist, gleaning the usual sources for inspiration, but displaying a broad range of capabilities, no doubt one of the mamy lessons learned from Richie Beirach. As for the program, the trio tackles five standards, a few Sund pieces, and four improvised pieces. Regarding the standard portion of the program, Sund and Co. Attempt to make these familiar melodies sound new again, certainly not a new vocation, but one that has fruitful results here. The opening cut, “Nardis,” demonstrates that this trio seeks to chart its own course, spreading the familiar melodiy amongst the trio´s low ended vamp, with bridges that intesect the rhythmic flow, as Sund´s shimmering notes twirl. Similarly, the trio jumps into “When Will The Blues Leave” with a giddy joy and breaks apart the familiar “I Hear A Rhapsody” into a new tune altogether, “Hidden Rhapsody”. For the trio´s romantic look at the standards, “Blue In Green” is glorious, while the trio again deconstructs “The Peacocks” as haunting ballad coaxed by Martin Lillich´s lithe arco expressions.
As for the Sund originals, the trio glides along on the buoyant waltz of “Puzzle 1499,” with Lillich´s punchy pizzicato thoughts amidst Kersting´s shuffling brushwork, while both “El Rojo” and “Ravi” present the most romantic side of the trio. Finally, the four improvised “Trialogue” pieces demonstrate another side of the trio´s art, moving from more abstract tones (“#1: The Cage Map”) to heavy swing (“#2: Lets Open The Year”) to fragile icicles (“#3: A Deeper Season”) to a cool breeze on a winter eveing (“#4: The Evergreen Terrace”).
A solid piano trio date from start to finish that while perhaps not as incredible as beirach´s liners might suggest, is noteworthy for its staying power.
While “Trialogue” presents Sund leading his trio, “Americana” springs from an invitation from American reedist (and previous collaborator) Tom Christensen to perfrorm in a series of New York concerts, with each player utilizing a favorite sideman for a one-off quartet. Christensen brought bassist Ben Allison and Sund brought over Kersting. The most interesting aspect of this recording is that although it is entitled Americana, the overall results place this record easily within the ECM realm, with its breezes of melancholic aloofness and introspective poles that rarely thaw. That´s not necessarily a bad thing, of course, depending upon your inclinations. This sonic wallpapering gets under way immediately with the forlorn first cut, “Americana,” coming straight out of the Lyle Mays/Pat Metheny school, with its airy keyboards and Christensen´s soaring Engish horn amidst buoyant basslines and floating cymbal work. Along similar horizons is the icy beauty of “Akire” with its lucious piano, Christensen´s fluid flute work and Allison´s riveting pizzicato solo, as well as the contemplative “Nozomi,” a fine feature for Christensen´s English horn.
The group also ventures into the straight-ahead territory on the solemn, minor blues waltz, “New Chances” and the eminently swinging “Pit Jazz,” both of which allow the musicians to spotlight the basics. Surprisingly, the quartet also walks close to the edge on numbers like “The Watcher and The Moon,” with Sund´s plucked strings and Christensen´s fluttering alto flute, Carla Bleys “Vashkar” with its tension-filled suspensions and “The Cosmic Lawn,” a dramatic, mostly freely improvised piece that features Kersting´s shuffling hi-hat rhythms, Christensen´s bass clarinet, Sund´s chord washes, and the piece´s motivator, Allison´s sitar-like bass tones. An intriguing set once again demonstrating the global stretch of this music.
Jay Collins, Cadence Magazine, USA, January 06
The Rains from a Cloud Do not Wet the Sky
Tim Sund fancies an unusual front pairing. On his album "The Rains from a Cloud Do not Wet the Sky" it's saxophone (Joel Frahm) and violin (Gregor Huebner). Recorded live at Berlin& acute;s ATrane, this is the quintet's second Nabel session, and it is certainly developing an original, smart sound.
Sund's writing is clearly designed for these men: Huebner and Frahm sit in his mind's eye, the pair's range must be a real inspiration. Listen to "Drifting", with it's open spaces and hints of tango, the melody is intimately linked to a horn and violin combination. Or "Hunting Shadows" (which according to Sund, reflects the atmosphere towards the end of Stravinsky's opera, The Rake's Progress), with a floating, nearly diaphanous line.
Modern Jazz violin, from JeanLuc Ponty to Leroy Jenkins, is often considered an aquired taste but Huebner's approach is immediate and rich: he's at ease with himself, his sound never grates. Indeed, his sense of proportion is just right a point on which many of his peers falter. More than anything else, the violin brings beauty to this ensemble, rather than any harmonic or melodic challenges. Huebner is in league with Frahm and Sund he's never a polarizing force.
Joel Frahm, a leader in his own right, may be a saxophonist in the straightforward postColtrane mode, but he's his own man and there's a distinct charm and neighborliness to his lines. Even on a swinger like "Dr. DeeDee" he's tuned to his mates; he doesn't isolate himself, wrapped up in pyrotechnics or bogged down in arcana.
The rhythm team is flexible and fluid. Drummer Andreas Griefinghold, in particular, has a loose and bombastic approach that´s filled with vigor and snap.
Carlos Bica's solo feature, the bowed statement, "Uma nuvem no céu," reminded me of Miroslav Vitous with its push and pull and internal dialogue little repetetive phrases, reworked and bounced back and forth.
Tim Sund gets much of his power and his understanding of harmony and time from his former teacher, Richie Beirach. Like his mentor, Sund likes the knotted and the difficult. "Stretch the Match", for instance, plays with time a 17/8 ostinato in the piano's righthand against a _ feel.
Sund, however, has many faces the earnest romantic ("The Hill of Love") or the open improviser ("Jumping Jack"), but he ultimately favors the direct and the accessible: Sund's default switch is the lovely cadence, the workable phrase. The title piece serves as an exellent example. Played with wit and expertly executed, "The Rains from a Cloud Do not Wet the Sky" is altogether compelling.
Cadence Magazine, USA, August 01
...In The Midst Of Change
Sund is clearly a lyrical piano soloist and composer.
This is a straightahead set of adventurous contemporary swing (check out the band's compelling grooves during "...In The Traffic", "Blue Trees", "...And Flowers pick Themselves" and "Traps").
Among the most evocative musical elements are the memorable unison exchanges between Frahm's soprano sax and Hübner's violin in "Lost Hills Road", "...In The Traffic", "Blue Trees", "...And Flowers pick Themselves" and the rhapsodic counterpoint of "Devi".
Hübner, Sund and the rhythm section show wonderful rapport during the atmospheric ballad "Erilinda", while Frahm's soprano sax sounds inspired during his cacading double tempo lines in "Blue Trees" and " …And Flowers pick Themselves".
Ultimately this compelling mainstream date possesses that essential ingredient: real passion. Recommended.
Cadence Magazine, USA, November 99
“In his compositions Sund combines classical figurations, folkloristic influences and modern Jazz harmony into his own playful and emotional musical language far away from dry academism or extravagant free jazz ambitions.“
Westfalian Press
“Modern, colorful and creative jazz on the edge, determined by exciting arrangements and the spirit of musical quest.”
Jazzpodium
"Tim Sund: lyrical, adventurous contemporary swing, atmospheric, compelling grooves, inspired, evocative rhapsodic and real passion. Recommended."
Cadence-Magazine, Canada
As Dark As The Sun
“As Dark As The Sun“ is an album that has the courage to leave the tradional roads. This is jazz as jazz can be, strong structures but also unlimited freedom.”
Jazzflits, NL, Mai 06
“Tim Sund is intoxicated. Even the smallest nuances are well-balanced and clear. Sund drifts along, plays with details and ornamentations that fascinate by their crystal clear quality.”
Jazzthing, April/Mai 06
“A tour through the solo pianism of contemporary jazz and moreover a personal contribution to it.”
***** Music *****Sound
FonoForum & Stereo, Juni 06
A congenial synthesis of the composer and the improvising pianist.
Ulf Drechsel, Kulturadio Berlin, Mai 06
“The material Sund is putting together here shows creative greatness. His power to shape and structure reveals artistic maturity. He leaves space in his improvisations and let his playing grow stronger, when the drama of the music is asking for it. His playing can drift along with repetitive patterns, can break out impulsively and glide freely until it is caught again, can enchant with its lyricism, is always exciting and is evident emotion coming from the artist´s soul.” Jazzpodium, Juli/August 06
Trialogue and Americana
“Trialogue“ presents Sund in a trio setting with bassist Martin Lillich and drummer Michael Kersting. Sund proves to be an expressive pianist, gleaning the usual sources for inspiration, but displaying a broad range of capabilities, no doubt one of the mamy lessons learned from Richie Beirach. As for the program, the trio tackles five standards, a few Sund pieces, and four improvised pieces. Regarding the standard portion of the program, Sund and Co. Attempt to make these familiar melodies sound new again, certainly not a new vocation, but one that has fruitful results here. The opening cut, “Nardis,” demonstrates that this trio seeks to chart its own course, spreading the familiar melodiy amongst the trio´s low ended vamp, with bridges that intesect the rhythmic flow, as Sund´s shimmering notes twirl. Similarly, the trio jumps into “When Will The Blues Leave” with a giddy joy and breaks apart the familiar “I Hear A Rhapsody” into a new tune altogether, “Hidden Rhapsody”. For the trio´s romantic look at the standards, “Blue In Green” is glorious, while the trio again deconstructs “The Peacocks” as haunting ballad coaxed by Martin Lillich´s lithe arco expressions.
As for the Sund originals, the trio glides along on the buoyant waltz of “Puzzle 1499,” with Lillich´s punchy pizzicato thoughts amidst Kersting´s shuffling brushwork, while both “El Rojo” and “Ravi” present the most romantic side of the trio. Finally, the four improvised “Trialogue” pieces demonstrate another side of the trio´s art, moving from more abstract tones (“#1: The Cage Map”) to heavy swing (“#2: Lets Open The Year”) to fragile icicles (“#3: A Deeper Season”) to a cool breeze on a winter eveing (“#4: The Evergreen Terrace”).
A solid piano trio date from start to finish that while perhaps not as incredible as beirach´s liners might suggest, is noteworthy for its staying power.
While “Trialogue” presents Sund leading his trio, “Americana” springs from an invitation from American reedist (and previous collaborator) Tom Christensen to perfrorm in a series of New York concerts, with each player utilizing a favorite sideman for a one-off quartet. Christensen brought bassist Ben Allison and Sund brought over Kersting. The most interesting aspect of this recording is that although it is entitled Americana, the overall results place this record easily within the ECM realm, with its breezes of melancholic aloofness and introspective poles that rarely thaw. That´s not necessarily a bad thing, of course, depending upon your inclinations. This sonic wallpapering gets under way immediately with the forlorn first cut, “Americana,” coming straight out of the Lyle Mays/Pat Metheny school, with its airy keyboards and Christensen´s soaring Engish horn amidst buoyant basslines and floating cymbal work. Along similar horizons is the icy beauty of “Akire” with its lucious piano, Christensen´s fluid flute work and Allison´s riveting pizzicato solo, as well as the contemplative “Nozomi,” a fine feature for Christensen´s English horn.
The group also ventures into the straight-ahead territory on the solemn, minor blues waltz, “New Chances” and the eminently swinging “Pit Jazz,” both of which allow the musicians to spotlight the basics. Surprisingly, the quartet also walks close to the edge on numbers like “The Watcher and The Moon,” with Sund´s plucked strings and Christensen´s fluttering alto flute, Carla Bleys “Vashkar” with its tension-filled suspensions and “The Cosmic Lawn,” a dramatic, mostly freely improvised piece that features Kersting´s shuffling hi-hat rhythms, Christensen´s bass clarinet, Sund´s chord washes, and the piece´s motivator, Allison´s sitar-like bass tones. An intriguing set once again demonstrating the global stretch of this music.
Jay Collins, Cadence Magazine, USA, January 06
The Rains from a Cloud Do not Wet the Sky
Tim Sund fancies an unusual front pairing. On his album "The Rains from a Cloud Do not Wet the Sky" it's saxophone (Joel Frahm) and violin (Gregor Huebner). Recorded live at Berlin& acute;s ATrane, this is the quintet's second Nabel session, and it is certainly developing an original, smart sound.
Sund's writing is clearly designed for these men: Huebner and Frahm sit in his mind's eye, the pair's range must be a real inspiration. Listen to "Drifting", with it's open spaces and hints of tango, the melody is intimately linked to a horn and violin combination. Or "Hunting Shadows" (which according to Sund, reflects the atmosphere towards the end of Stravinsky's opera, The Rake's Progress), with a floating, nearly diaphanous line.
Modern Jazz violin, from JeanLuc Ponty to Leroy Jenkins, is often considered an aquired taste but Huebner's approach is immediate and rich: he's at ease with himself, his sound never grates. Indeed, his sense of proportion is just right a point on which many of his peers falter. More than anything else, the violin brings beauty to this ensemble, rather than any harmonic or melodic challenges. Huebner is in league with Frahm and Sund he's never a polarizing force.
Joel Frahm, a leader in his own right, may be a saxophonist in the straightforward postColtrane mode, but he's his own man and there's a distinct charm and neighborliness to his lines. Even on a swinger like "Dr. DeeDee" he's tuned to his mates; he doesn't isolate himself, wrapped up in pyrotechnics or bogged down in arcana.
The rhythm team is flexible and fluid. Drummer Andreas Griefinghold, in particular, has a loose and bombastic approach that´s filled with vigor and snap.
Carlos Bica's solo feature, the bowed statement, "Uma nuvem no céu," reminded me of Miroslav Vitous with its push and pull and internal dialogue little repetetive phrases, reworked and bounced back and forth.
Tim Sund gets much of his power and his understanding of harmony and time from his former teacher, Richie Beirach. Like his mentor, Sund likes the knotted and the difficult. "Stretch the Match", for instance, plays with time a 17/8 ostinato in the piano's righthand against a _ feel.
Sund, however, has many faces the earnest romantic ("The Hill of Love") or the open improviser ("Jumping Jack"), but he ultimately favors the direct and the accessible: Sund's default switch is the lovely cadence, the workable phrase. The title piece serves as an exellent example. Played with wit and expertly executed, "The Rains from a Cloud Do not Wet the Sky" is altogether compelling.
Cadence Magazine, USA, August 01
...In The Midst Of Change
Sund is clearly a lyrical piano soloist and composer.
This is a straightahead set of adventurous contemporary swing (check out the band's compelling grooves during "...In The Traffic", "Blue Trees", "...And Flowers pick Themselves" and "Traps").
Among the most evocative musical elements are the memorable unison exchanges between Frahm's soprano sax and Hübner's violin in "Lost Hills Road", "...In The Traffic", "Blue Trees", "...And Flowers pick Themselves" and the rhapsodic counterpoint of "Devi".
Hübner, Sund and the rhythm section show wonderful rapport during the atmospheric ballad "Erilinda", while Frahm's soprano sax sounds inspired during his cacading double tempo lines in "Blue Trees" and " …And Flowers pick Themselves".
Ultimately this compelling mainstream date possesses that essential ingredient: real passion. Recommended.
Cadence Magazine, USA, November 99
