Midweek pick, May 22nd, 2024: I Am Three's In Other Words

I Am Three: In Other Words (Leo Records)

Nikolaus Neuser: trumpet
Silke Eberhard: alto saxophone, percussion
Christian Marien: drums

It wasn’t too long ago that Leo Records, the legendary British jazz label founded by Russian expat Leo Feigin in 1979, announced its closing down sale. I and many like me assumed that spelled the end for the label. It seems that’s not entirely the case, at least for now. While the closing down sale is ongoing, thankfully, Leo are still releasing new albums too.

One of their new releases I’ve been excited by is In Other Words, the third album by the German trio I Am Three, which consists of the brilliant alto saxophonist Silke Eberhard, trumpeter Nikolaus Neuser and drummer Christian Marien.

On their first two albums, Mingus Mingus Mingus from 2016 and Mingus’ Sounds of Love, which featured Maggie Nichols on vocals, I Am Three presented creative interpretations of compositions by Charles Mingus. In Other Words, on the other hand, consists entirely of original compositions. The music moves from the highly kinetic, almost mechanical, to the airy and graceful, and a lot in between.

Try the opener, “Uebersprungshandlung”, where Eberhard and Neuser play short notes that bounce of each other, before the two spin off into respective orbits, all the while Marien keeps a groovy, propelling beat, flavored by clever use of toms. Or “Blues In Aspik”, where the saxophonist and trumpeter, the latter using a mute, take off from a short, catchy theme into lithe, dancing patterns over brushed drums.