Private

Recorded in late 2001, Private starts a new chapter in the life of Christoph Gallio's trio. For this fourth album, bassist Dominique Girod and drummer Dieter Ulrich have been replaced by Daniel Studer and Marco Käppeli. And you will notice the difference. This revamped lineup is meaner and hits harder. Gallio's writing has evolved accordingly. It still shows a desire for restraint, but restraint doesn't mean you can't show your teeth. Private packs 13 pieces in under 50 minutes, a blend of developed compositions in the four- to seven-minute range and a handful of short statements reminiscent of Gallio's solo album Mösiöblö. The saxophonist still squeezes out of his soprano a few elegant melodies, but "Walter & Claudia," "Save," and even "Ann's Wedding Song" get dirty and delightfully jerky. Studer's plucked lines boom out of the speakers; Käppeli manages to keep the basic rhythmic motif simple (a defining character of the group's music) while adding flourishes outside the beat. And Gallio's Lacy-esque grace makes way a few times for a much more urgent tone (in "Walter & Claudia," again). The music also leaves room for more free improvisation, as in "Quiet Days," where Studer whips out his bow to create scratchy textures. There was an element of repetition between 1998's About and 1999's Less and More. Private succeeds in breaking away from that incarnation of the trio while staying true to its spirit. ~ François Couture, Rovi