Press
Praise for the Piano Trios
“This recent release is my first encounter with the name and music of Patrick Zimmerli. The notes accompanying the recording offer little biographical or background information, but a bit of research on the Internet reveals that he was born in 1968 in New York City, and graduated from Columbia University, where he studied with Fred Lerdahl. It appears that he is somewhat better known as a jazz saxophonist than as a composer of ‘concert music’; his Web site offers a backdrop of static ‘sonic environment’ music. But neither of these conceptual strands suggests the music found on the compact disc submitted for review. // Having listened several times now to both these piano trios, I must say that they are simply sensational! Both works were composed between the years 2001–03, and they are similar enough that my reactions really apply to both of them more or less equally. (Presumably, differences will emerge with greater familiarity.) To begin with the basics: each work comprises four movements and lasts approximately half an hour. Both strongly reflect a derivation in the ethos, aesthetics, rhetoric, and general style of the piano trios of Brahms: strongly potent statements that seem to reach beyond the intimate composure of conventional classical chamber music to a near-symphonic grandeur, while retaining a strong connection to their classical formal roots. This gives the music a much more conservative profile than that of, say, Paul Moravec, another excellent traditionalist composer championed by Arabesque and recently discussed in these pages. Zimmerli’s own program notes speak of his mixing classical and jazz idioms in both works, but I don’t hear it that way at all. To my ears, he has simply infused his language with many of the developments in harmony that evolved during the 20th century. Let me hasten to add that this is to its distinct advantage: I have always found jazz–classical hybrids—especially those with elevated pretensions, that alternate back and forth between the two poles—to be contrived, self–conscious, and exceedingly tedious gimmicks—more concerned with their concept than with their substance. I suppose one might point to Zimmerli’s expanded harmonic language as overlapping somewhat with the language of jazz, and I guess he must see it that way; but it is all thoroughly integrated into one very cogent means of expression. // Both trios start with sonata allegro movements of tremendous emotional force and unflagging urgency, while the subsequent movements maintain an extraordinarily high level of interest. The music is motivically driven, contrapuntally strong, melodically generous, and vigorously rhythmic. The instrumental writing shows great proficiency (the Scherzo of Trio No. 2 is a dazzling workout for the violinist). Both works offer wholly satisfying musical experiences that leave one eager to learn what else this relatively young composer has to offer. Not to be overlooked is the quality of the performances, which feature the members of the Seattle Chamber Music Society, who commissioned and premiered both works. They play with technical brilliance, emotional exuberance, and whole–hearted conviction. Highly recommended.”
—Walter Simmons, Fanfare Magazine
“This year I was able to arrive at only four recent releases that met my criteria of great, little–known recent repertoire, beautifully performed, and superbly recorded… Patrick Zimmerli, born in 1968, is the youngest composer cited here. Although he is active as a jazz musician, his two piano trios (reviewed in 29:4) are highly traditional in style, harking back to similar works by Brahms. However, Zimmerli speaks through his models with such urgency and authenticity that the results are irresistibly compelling, while their impact is enhanced by these virtuosic performances.”
—Fanfare Magazine
“I’m afraid this review requires a longish lead-in: About 15 years ago, I reviewed a lot of new music for Fanfare. That diminished for two reasons: most important, we were fortunate to get a few young composers to write for us; I certainly could not match Robert Carl’s knowledge and feeling for new music. It was also the case that the directions of new compositions changed, at least of those that got recorded. The long fight against modernity and complexity finally won out, to my dismay, and I thought that a great deal of what was appearing sounded watered down, even dishonest, as if it really were written just to please the public, or at least to avoid offending it. Of course, I could have been dead wrong; perhaps it was just my reaction, not the composers’ intentions, so I didn’t want to write about it. I really love the complex, dense, serious music written throughout the second half of the 20th century: Dutilleux, Henze, Erb, Tsontakis . . . not serialism per se, but some of its purveyors. // The point of all this is that the 21st-century music on this disc convinces me. It does have qualities that should please an audience, yet I feel certain the composer is writing for himself. On the one hand, it is old-fashioned: a pair of four-movement piano trios, no less! On the other hand, I find it all original, serious, and well written. There is a lot of jazz lurking in the background, often in the foreground as well; nevertheless, it sounds like serious, formal music, though not like any one composer, nor any combination of them. The Allegros are wild, often furious—they must be hell to play—and the slow music is lyrical without being maudlin. The music is conventionally tonal, at least to my ears, so happily accustomed to dissonance, polytonality, even atonality; but it does contain a lot of interesting harmonic action. Variety abounds, within movements as well as between them, yet I sense a consistent, satisfying whole. Is this, then, easy music? No, it is still dense and often complex (remember Beethoven?), but it has a vibrant spirit that comes across at first hearing. Although these trios sound nothing like Brahms, they create the kind of excitement one hears in gung-ho performances of the Brahms Piano Quintet, such as that by Leon Fleisher. These three young musicians, too, give a gung-ho performance: virtuosic, confident, and focused. They obviously know the music well; it’s hard to imagine a better representation of these works. The recording is all one could desire. // In his notes to this disc, Patrick Zimmerli tells us nothing about himself, only his music. The accompanying promo material says he received a B.A. from Columbia University in 1990, so that would put him in his mid-thirties now, unless he was a child prodigy, which he well may have been. He studied composition with Fred Lerdahl and earned a D.M.A. in composition in 2000. A freelance jazz saxophonist, Zimmerli splits his life between the two musical poles that he melds so smoothly here. The trios were written in 2001–02 and 2003. // I realize that we at Fanfare are prone to say that a disc is a must for every collection, so I won’t. But if my first paragraph evokes any sympathetic response in you, this may be the time to jump.”
—James H. North, Fanfare Magazine.
Well-crafted and played: there’s plenty of life in the piano trios. The first thing to hit you is the rhythm—a cascading flow that sweeps all before it. Then you start noticing what else has been caught up in the flow—exotic pentatonic modes, jazzy syncopations, jagged faux-Arabic metrical constructions, even enough pop-tune motifs to keep listeners on their toes. If it weren’t for the instrumentation and fairly classsical structures, you could at times almost imagine a jazz set. Though not exactly mirror images these trios commissioned by the Seattle Chamber Music Festival make perfect companions for a disc-length programme. An amazingly broad range of musical and emotional resources unfold with nearly unerring sense of balance and when to change course…”
—Ken Smith, Gramophone Magazine
Praise for Phoenix
“”The notes accompanying this sixth release from Patrick Zimmerli, a New York-based composer/saxophonist, give no hint of when he may have fallen to earth from parts unknown, bringing with him an unclassifiable mix of jazz, strings, and electronics. The set opens with the dreamlike landscape of M, which is dramatically revisited later mid-set with Kevin Hays’ piano carrying the theme, only to re-emerge in more subdued fashion for the finale. Subsequently Hays turns positively frolicksome in the company of Zimmerli’s sax and Satoshi Takeishi’s percussion on Only Surround. Overall the swirls and clouds of sound that emerge in the set are varied expressions of Zimmerli’s adventurousness. Styles are mixed, unrestricted by the boundaries of traditional categories like jazz or classical. Most of the pieces are Zimmerli compositions dominated by the interplay between electronic and acoustic instruments. Yet the bossa nova rhythms of Jobim’s How Insensitive, floating gently on violins, sax, and piano, also fit quite nicely here. Away From You is a jaunty, sax-led acoustic trip, not unlike Grofe’s Grand Canyon Suite as it might have evolved had it been played by violins spiked by just a tad of acid. Each of these pieces creates its own mood. The common thread throughout is a real sense of commitment in to exploring fresh possibilities.”
—Andrew Velez, allaboutjazz.com
“”Zimmerli, a NYC-based musician, says this is the most experimental of the six CDs he has done, but it should appeal to listeners in many different areas. He has combined his sax, piano and electric bass with a string quartet and synths to create a rich and varied sonic tapestry influenced by many different elements. There is creative interplay of the electronic instruments with the acoustic ones, some touches of ambient music, minimalist approaches, and Middle Eastern music. My personal favorite jazz album has long been Stan Getz’ Focus, which escapes the usual corny solo-instrument-and-strings genre with the imaginative compositions of Eddie Sauter. Zimmerli gives us a 21st-century version of that project, which benefits from his experiences in not only the jazz world but also classical, electronic, popular and film music. One track is not his original, and I think it’s the most tasteful arrangement of the bossa nova hit How Insensitive that I’ve ever laid ears on. He states that he can’t escape from pop music and wouldn’t want to because there is so much creative work going on in it today. What he aims for is ‘a contemporary, aesthetically viable, pan-stylistic art music.’ Quite a mouthful - but sit back and bathe in the striking sounds that surround you in this audiophile-quality 5.0 SACD mix and the terminology will be secondary…”
—John Henry, Audiophile Audition
Praise for the Book of Hours
from Hot Box reviews in Down Beat Magazine, March 2003:
“…an impressive accomplishment….Whether from the point of view of Zimmerli’s compositions, which are complex and rich especially in terms of rhythm, or the high quality of the performances, which must have been an absolute bear given such tricky material, The Book of Hours is a mighty success…[Zimmerli's] a composer with an outstanding ear for layers and a personal way of creating transformations within a given piece, and he’s an excellent soprano saxophonist.” —John Corbett
“…intriguing, often quirky strokes of modernistic composition…” —John McDonough
“Impressive stuff.” —Jim Macnie
“Fresh writing couples with strong ensemble work from saxophonist Zimmerli. Each song, much like the one that precedes it, is a marvel of group cohesion…” —John Ephland
“A superior exercise in chamber jazz…Moving faultlessly through a variety of time signatures, harmonies, melodies and compositional colors, the band members play their parts seemingly without a note out of place…Zimmerli has taken the outlines of a pious ceremony and used compositional alchemy to make the multi-movement suite both secular and energetic…”
—Jeff Kaiser, Jazz Weekly
“…the album presents music of great beauty and melodicism; Zimmerli employs often bright and crisp colors and textures (fully realized here by the ten likeminded musicians of Octurn), and there is also a warmth that suggests the post-Gil Evans approaches of a composer like Maria Schneider. In short, The Book of Hours is engaging and accessible throughout…listeners with a non-traditional streak should find favor in the polyphonic complexity of Zimmerli’s scores, which avoid the typical head-solos-head structures of much conventional jazz (the canon-like “Interlude” segments have a particularly strong classical influence, beginning in duet form and adding instruments cumulatively during trio, quartet, and sextet iterations interspersed among the other album tracks). Thematic material (signifying the many moods of a passing day) is stated and restated in variation as soloists enter and exit against an always surprising and involving backdrop - this is music that could keep even the most dedicated avant-gardist on his or her toes with its constantly evolving permutations…Zimmerli’s music can be bold, energetic, and propulsive (”Night”), yet it often maintains a subtle and understated quality; even the seemingly highly improvised dialogue between baritone saxophone and percussion on “Noon” suggests a conversation rather than a shouting match. As for Zimmerli the saxophonist, his soprano solo on the lovely “Sleep” that concludes the disc is a thing of true beauty and one of the album’s most striking improvisational moments, even as the piece tends to calm rather than excite the listener’s heart…”
—Dave Lynch, All Music Guide
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