Recommended: Max Frankl Quintet – “Live in Munich”

Guitarist Max Frankl has been a favorite of this site since first discovering his 2011 release Stories, with his trio Francis Drake.  His 2015 release Fernweh also received some warm words on Bird is the Worm.  Now, kicking off 2017, he’s releasing the three-track EP, Live In Munich.  The presence of trombonist Nils Wogram adds a wonderful sonority to the session, and the way it melts up with the gentle harmonic waves from Frankl’s electric guitar and how his trombone intertwines melodic threads with Ulrich Wangenheim’s clarinet and sax adds rich textures everywhere.  The moody opener “Feya” is heavy with emotion, as is the three-minute “Interlude.”  Final track “Sturmvogel,” on the other hand, gets the heart beating faster and takes things from a contemplative tone to something sunnier and upbeat.

Just a seriously enjoyable recording.  Everything about this live performance recording gives the indication that Frankl’s sextet was completely in sync that evening.  The dialog between musicians and the way their individual sounds coalesce into expressions fuller and richer than the sum of the individual contributions gives the impression that it was probably a magical show to see in person.

Your album personnel:  Max Frankl (electric guitar), Nils Wogram (trombone), Ulrich Wangenheim (tenor sax, clarinet), Christian Elsässer (piano), Andreas Kurz (bass) and Silvio Morger (drums).

The album is Self-Produced.

Listen to more of the album at the artist’s Bandcamp page.

Music from Zurich, Switzerland.

Available at:  Bandcamp