The trio of Luxembourgian alto and soprano sax player Roby Glod, and German double bass player Christian Ramond and drummer Klus Kugel has been playing together for almost 20 years now. The music of this trio is mostly free improvised but it has its obvious roots in the jazz tradition, as it flirts with swing and its phrasing borrows melodic and rhythmic patterns from innovative masters such as Lennie Tristano, Lee Konitz and Warne Marsh (Tristano mentored both Konitz and Marsh).

No ToXiC was recorded at Kreuzung an Sankt Helena in Bonn in June 2022, highlighting the organic, effortless and democratic dynamics of this trio. The music flows naturally on its own accord but most of the time with a sense of urgency, in an almost telepathic synergy and swings constantly between post-bop and free music. Often, this kind of free approach invites subversive comments that open the tight interplay and add more nuanced timbral layers, with extended breathing, bowing and percussive techniques, to the rich dynamics.

The music – 13 short, complex yet economic pieces – is credited to the three musicians and another piece, «Carol’s Dream», is by pianist Conny Crothers, another disciple of Tristano. The seminal influence of Konitz is manifested in three pieces corresponding with Konitz’s iconic piece «Subconscious-Lee» (in its turn, based on the changes to the classic 1929 Cole Porter piece, «What Is This Thing Called Love?»).- «Unconscious Superglitzer», «Unconscious Second Turn» and «Subconscious Triptychon». But Glod does not attempt to follow Konitz’s sound. He has his own commanding voice and his own way of feeding and being fed by this trio’s tight interplay.

Eyal Hareuveni

Roby Glod (alto saxophone, soprano saxophone), Christian Ramond (double bass), Klaus Kugel (drums)