Press
Poetic Justice and various concerts with Marilyn Crispell
“The three artists well developed sense of communication and creativity resulted in extraordinary exiting music. The music touched delicate punctual patterns and violent colourfull explosions and in the same time expressed clear intensions, clear directions and clear conclusions-briefly a stream of captivating improvised music.”
- Berlingske Tidende, Denmark.
“Ankers compositions not only tap Crispell´s lyricism but the rigorously edged aspect of her playing that is only approximated with the term “post-Taylor”. Anker has similar attributes to her work on soprano and tenor, buttressed by a strong sound on both horns…..In the process Anker and Crispell bypassed erudition and found something both wise and endearing”
- Vancouver Jazzfestival, Jazz Times Magazine.
“This trans-Atlantic trio combines thoughtful compositional work with bravura
improvisation and an undeniable richness of purpose”
- Guelph Jazz Festival
“the result is vulnerable and fragile music that does not shy from making empathetic and energetic statements when necessary…..It takes extremely versatile musicians to produce such a wellformed musical progression, and Anker, Crispell and Mazur are up to the job.”
- Nordic Sounds
“ In den bedachtsamen Improvisationen, die alle drei mit feinen Details anreichern, steckt jede menge Poesie, und gleichzeitig alle musikalische Gerechtigkeit in dem Respekt, mit dem die drei Damen einander behutsam den Raum zur Entfaltung eröffnen.”
- Jazzpodium
“The three musicians present the listener with a challenging but rewarding set of music that is likely to be enjoyed by fans of the avantgarde jazz……”Poetic Justice” is an enjoyable CD. Well recorded, well paced, well programmed, and full of intelligent music”.
Anker/Taborn/Cleaver - Triptych
From the opening title cut, Anker shows that she is much at home in making this a threesome. Her playing throughout is impressive as she highlights a remarkable ability to take things smoothly from a simple brief toot or squeak to a maniacal frenzy and back again. Concentrate on simply the sound during the sonic pinnacle of either “Triptych” or “Cumulus” and the music loses its form, but ease into your seat from the beginning and hold on for a fantastic voyage.
Notable exceptions such as the short thoughtful piano ballad “Lotuseating” and lovely harmonies of “Frog Floating” provide some momentary reprieve, but in the main, this is not music for the moment but a glorious journey of group improvisation that bears repeated listening. For most of these cuts, the fun is getting there and finding your way home, and with these three top improvisers at the controls, Tryptych delivers a magnificent trip.
all about jazz 2006
”Danish saxophonist Lotte Anker´s reputation continues to grow with each release and Triptych should bring her wider attention due to its label (Leo) and her astounding cohorts, pianist Craig Taborn and drummer Gerald Cleaver.......Taken as a whole, then,
this persuasive initial outing from Anker´s trio is a delight, especially when compared to
the deluge of many unfocused improvised music sessions.”
Cadence 2006
”This intriguing trio comprising Danish saxophonist Anker and the Americans,
pianist Taborn and drummer Cleaver, reminds us that some of the best jazz can be
made by international as well as national groups. Treading the risky path of collective
improvisation, the players succeed in finding a common musical ground in which attention to timbral detail is the order of the day.........Triptych has a blend of African-American and European sensibilities that make for an enticing performance in which passing longueurs are redeemed by moments of inspired group interaction.”
Jazzwise UK 2006
”Pianist Craig Taborn and drummer Gerald Cleaver are close allies on the New York scene, and this encounter with danish saxist Lotte Anker affirms their simpatico. Anker, a fount of sinewy yet lyrical abstraction on both of her horns, seems to bring out the best in her collaborators. While Triptych is every inch a free session, with seven collectively composed pieces, the trio covers a wide swath of sonic territory.”
- Signal to Noise 2005
”But the notable factor linking these seven improvisations is how nonchalantly the staccato coexists with the legato, speed with languidness and silence with clamor... Taken together, Triptych and Ictus Live should provide a triple function. They should make Anker´s talents more obvious to North Americans; introduce uninformed jazz fans to other Danish –and one French- improvisers; and solidify the reputation of a couple of self-possessed, maturing American sound makers”
”C´est justement lá que le trio l´emporte. Les graves y bousculent le fond institué par une rythmique presque descriptible, en attandent léntree en jeu d´Anker. Chose faite. Le grain charmeur du saxophone, pourtant semeur de trouble, persiste et signe la puissance d´un morceau implacable, infiltré de redondances. La tempete essuyée de maniere majestueuse, reste un piano flottant sur quelques coups répétés sur cymbales (Frog Floating). Emportements et instants de calme se disputent Une derniére fois toute la place, avant de noyer l´interêt à force d´insistance. Seul laisser-aller de rien concédé par la maîtrise du trio, dans la composition d´un Triptych verteux de profondeur.”
Un trio empatico, sebbene nasca da una mancanza. Infatti, Craig Taborn prende il posto di Marilyn Crispell, solitamente titolare. _Una musica che si distende in ampi archi d’attesa, dapprima aleatoria, indeterminata, infine piena, avvolgente. _L’abilità di costruzione si deve al triangolo nell’insieme. Lotte Anker getta semi fruttuosi; Taborn e Cleaver li fanno germogliare d’incanto. La pratica è radicale, improvvisazione totale su spunti melodico-ritmici. _Eppure il bagaglio espressivo dei tre è tale che le trame sonore si moltiplicano, offrendo soluzioni plurime.
L’iniziale “Triptych” è impressionante per forza centrifuga; “Cumulus” torna al Coltrane dopo la scoperta del soprano, “The Hierophant” seduce con blocchi ritmici di piano e batteria trapassati da un arrembante sax tenore. _Lievità, energia, dolcezza, potenza. Taborn e Cleaver maiuscoli.
all about jazz/Italy 2007
Jeg anser Lotte Anker for en av freejazzens mest betydningsfulle utøvere – og det ikke bare etter europeisk målestokk. Anker er ikke blott en ”lydmaker”, i likhet med (for) mange av freejazzens utøvere, men hun er også en ”forteller” i sin musikk –……
På nærværende CD gjelder det så samarbeidet i 2003 med de to ”yngre” afro-amerikanere, pianisten Craig Taborn og trommespilleren Gerald Cleaver.
Dette triosamspill uten bass er helt usedvanlig vellykket. Den kollektive ånd er i sitt beste lune, og de tre gir hverandre plass i stadig nysgjerrig lyttende prosesser av stor variabilitet.. …
Men først og fremst står altså trioen som en integrert organisme, der man er i stand til å motspille og medspille hverandre i kontrapunktiske og temaskapende passasjer og i krysningen av tidvis individuelle rytmer. Således blir lemmene del av et sett felles historier, som med all sin variasjon gjør at jeg vil høre ”det hele” – igjen og igjen! – Og det er vel sådan det er med de beste CDer!
Bjarne Søltoft jazznytt/norge 2007
Various - Sine Die
”With sublime communication danish-norwegian-american-swedish quintet Sine Die created good formations and good landscapes”.
” and then –once again- a great experience listening to Lotte Anker, who –via intense, creative and spirituel playing with tones and figures- added a fascinating gleam of infinity to her univers. All in all –timeless freejazz- tremendous music.”
- Berlingske Tidende 1999
Shape of Twelve
”If one wants to talk about danish record of the year and danish musician, it is for me Shape of Twelve and it´s composer. ”
- Information 1998
Ictus
”Every minut was filled with original musicart, when saxophoneplayer Lotte Anker and her three musicians were out in the world of freejazz... And it was here, the lady in the middle- saxophonist Lotte Anker-could express her art. And indeed she did. She has through the last years developed into an incredible creative soloist and her abilities to insist and develop figures and ideas is quite exceptional.”
- Berlingske Tidende 1999
Numus Festival 97
”But first with Lotte Anker we did meet a jazzcomposer who independent, intense and sensitive used fundamental values in classical composition and some of it´s technical and estetic conquests without abandoning one inch of her own basis. In other words a composer who understands the fundamental difference in the two ways of creating and sensing and therefore ”takes what she can use” instead of playing tourist in a foreign country with a too small baggage. The living now stands unchallenged in the interest for the two musician personalities and their mutual intuitive understanding”
- Politiken 1997