Lutz Eitel has written something on every concert he saw at this year's Moers Festival on the Plushmusic blog. Maybe I'll do so too. I disagree with him rather often. In some cases it seemed to me, we've been to totally different concerts. Sure, matters of taste are not discuss-worthy, and I haven't acquired any stage of higher wisdom in music matters. I accept, I appreciate different views. So I wouldn't write against Mr. Eitel, but complementary to his writing in the ideal case.
Anyway, in the beginning we're quite in accord: Terje Rypdal's project was good, Palle Mikkelborg sounded like electric fusion Miles Davis (well, not all of the time, but often at least). The sound mixing was not ideal, electronics drowned out the whole wind section. The wind section was used in an untraditional style, not in a typical big band way. The composition on the whole was a well-varied, well-balanced set of story-telling music. I don't know which of the drummers Mr. Eitel meant when he spoke of the disability to play funky or get into swing. It is right, the drummer from the Bergen Big Band was rather unimpressive. But Paolo Vinaccia, who was a surprising second drummer (not announced in the festival programme and booklet) did a fine job with every task he had to accomplish. Which is something that cannot be said of the following drummers in this first festival night...
Also have a look at the photos from the festival on my wife's blog.
