Die Große EntäuschungDie Enttäuschung is arguably the greatest jazz band in Berlin over the last two decades, blending the buoyant propulsion of post-bop with expressive openness and extended techniques of free jazz. The quartet famously collaborated with pianist Alexander von Schlippenbach for his monumental Monk’s Casino project, deftly interpreting every known composition by Thelonious Monk, but over the years it’s built up its own stunning ouevre of infectious, free-wheeling original tunes. The combo’s interplay is sublime, with each musician accenting and shadowing one another’s lines, as well as playfully jousting and challenging each other. The group embodies the innate spontaneity and rhythmic lift inherent in the best jazz, accomplishing high-level explorations while having a riotous good time. Occasionally the quartet—trumpeter Axel Dörner, bass clarinetist Rudi Mahll, bassist Jan Roder, and drummer Michael Griener—have added extra musicians into the fold, as on its fantastic 2017 album Lavaman, which featured the wonderful trombonist Christoff Thewes, but this evening they expand into a thrilling ten-piece band, Die Grosse Enttäuschung! The superb line-up includes the return of Thewes along with Swiss guitarist Flo Stoffner, reedist Gabriel Coburger, bassist Andi Lang, and drummer Kasper Tom, playing a mixture of new tunes and inventively and densely arranged favorites from the band’s trusty songbook. © Peter Margasak
