Trio Braam offers adventures experiences<\/p>\n
By Y. Bintang Prakarsa<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The last music concert in the program of the
\nThird Art Summit Indonesia 2001 International Festival on
\nContemporary Performing Arts was held at Gedung Kesenian Jakarta
\non Sept. 19 and Sept. 20 and it turned out to be a world
\npremiere.<\/p>\n
Trio Braam, whose participation was supported by the Erasmus
\nHuis, played Michiel Braam's newest composition Kleuren (Colors),
\na series of pieces for piano, double bass and percussion.<\/p>\n
What music were they playing? Jazz would not be an incorrect
\ndefinition, although Braam prefers to simply call it "improvised
\nmusic". But this is not safe jazz that thrills you with steady
\nbeats of excitement.<\/p>\n
The group does not rely on sheer volume or constant rhythmic
\ndrive.<\/p>\n
In fact, the ensemble plays at a very moderate volume, with
\namazing self-control and sophistication. Their harnessed energy
\nexudes a chamber music ambience, not different from an ideal
\nperformance of a string quartet (or trio in this case).<\/p>\n
The thrill is not in the foot tapping but in the surprises.
\nDifferent from "ordinary" jazz (which is a highly ordered
\nbusiness actually), in Trio Braam deviation is everywhere.
\nEverybody improvises and strays from the harmonic and rhythmic
\nframework from time to time. They hold the audience rapt in
\nabundant contrasts of minimalist texture and rhythmic slants,
\ncharming melody and biting atonality, sudden silences and
\npercussive bombs, bursts of energetic improvisations and ensemble
\nplaying.<\/p>\n
Using acerbic, dry sounds, often with drumstick clacks,
\nMichael Vatcher (percussion) stands out without dominating. He
\nsurprises by accenting sharply on wrong beats, or even by
\nventuring to have a rhythm of his own, in different tempo, before
\nresuming cooperation with the rest of the ensemble.<\/p>\n
He's dangerous and makes the audience stay alert. Letting
\nyourself get carried away by the outwardly sweet melodies or soft
\natmosphere of the ensemble means that you'll be the next victim
\nof his unexpected brutal attacks.<\/p>\n
With most imaginative double bass playing, Wilbert de Joode
\nalso contributes to the overall sense of controlled chaos. His
\ntechnical vocabulary, much of which is associated with 20th
\ncentury classical music, is astounding. He makes violent storms
\nwith glissandos, harsh clusters and forceful bowing.<\/p>\n
He creates eerie sounds with high overtone playing and bowing
\nwith the wood of the bow (col legno). He treats it as a
\npercussion instrument, drumming its body, or plucking the strings
\nso hard they hit the fingerboard with loud snaps.<\/p>\n
A self-taught musician who never had any formal training, he
\nis an experimenter who discovered everything out of curiosity.<\/p>\n
For his daring deviations, he has been kicked out of various
\ngroups, but there are always those who are impressed by his
\nability to free himself from the traditional bassist role as
\npulse beater.<\/p>\n
That role is sometimes taken by Braam, who is economical,
\nuttering solo melodies without chords, repeating a pattern, or
\njust tapping the same key over and over.<\/p>\n
By playing down his part, he creates a more equal,
\ncontrapuntal ensemble. Braam, who teaches composition at the
\nArhnem Conservatory, draws his inspiration mainly from Thelonious
\nMonk (the Trio has released a CD reinterpreting his music), but
\nalso from Duke Ellington, Cecil Taylor and Herbie Nichols, as
\nwell as Bach and Schoenberg.<\/p>\n
This eclecticism makes Trio Braam's rich tone color, harmony
\nand rhythm an adventurous listening experience.<\/p>",
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