Joe Hertenstein's POLYLEMMA

"Drummer, Joe Hertenstein produced, wrote the liner notes & half of the songs and led this session. On the title track, the trumpet and clarinet swerve around one another in sublime circles while the bass & drums create circular rhythms underneath. The restraint and skeletal playing give the trumpet and bass clarinet a chance to breathe and slowly weave their lines with subtle results. "Sugar's Dilemma" has a playful, dreamy vibe until Joachim Badenhorst takes a thoughtful, slow-burning bass clarinet solo and Thomas Heberer plays mysterious long notes in the distance. On "Stratigraphy" Joachim plays those talkative notes on his bass clarinet while the trumpet and bowed bass of Pascal Niggenkemper shadow one another closely. The quartet provide different strategies on each piece, while different combinations of players and assorted techniques bring things together into a connected series. Hertenstein's superb drums spin quickly and effortlessly on "One Ocean at a Time", providing the glue that holds this complex, ever-shifting piece together. Even at just 46 minutes, this disc is completely successful, ultimately crafty and often surprsing in direction throughout." - Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery, NY, 7/2011

"AVANT-GARDE – This well-balanced quartet features an unusual bass clarinet / trumpet combination and a relaxed, open-ended sound. The material is challenging but approachable, sliding back and forth between intricately composed and freely improvised sections. Everyone plays creatively, but Hertenstein’s drums are a standout. You’ll have to listen close, though: these guys like it quiet." - Forrest Dylan Bryant, KZSU Stanford Radio90.1FM 8/2011

"El trío HNH y su debut homónimo en Clean Feed en 2010 tienen su continuación en polylemma con el añadido de Joachim Badenhorst al clarinete bajo. El grupo salta el océano Atlántico desde Protugal a Canada, cambio de discográfica mediante. Otra diferencia con respecto a su debut es que en esta ocasión la composición de los ocho temas se la reparten a partes iguales entre el baterista Joe Hertenstein y el tompetista Thomas Herberer. Es aquí donde reside uno de los
aspectos más interesantes del disco. Los temas compuestos por Hertenstein resultan formalmente más cerrados que los de Herberer, con referencias al free-bop. En cuanto a los compuestos por éste último, en general resultan más libres, tanto en su concepción, como en su desarrollo. En ellos hay suficiente espacio para que los cuatro músicos improvisen libremente. Sin embargo todas esas buenas intenciones no tendrían mucho sentido sin el apoyo de unos buenos temas como “One Ocean at a Time” con unos magníficos solos de contrabajo y batería engarzadas por las melodías que sirven como interludios, el inicio casi ornettiano de “Polylemma”, o la energía de “Sugar’s Dilemma”."
- © Pachi Tapiz, Tomajazz, Spain, 7/2011

"Je ne crois pas avoir jamais croisé le nom de l’un ou l’autre de ces musiciens (dans l’ordre: batterie, trompette, clarinette basse, basse), mais Polylemma me donne le goût d’en entendre plus. Huit compositions partagées également entre le batteur et le trompettiste. Du jazz actuel mordant, vif qui laisse place à l’improvisation libre sans perdre sa direction pour autant. Une belle trouvaille de Red Toucan, qui fait ici un retour au jazz composé, après plusieurs parutions en improvisation libre.

I don’t think I ever came across any of these musicians before (in order: drums, trumpet, bass clarinet, bass), but Polylemma urges me to hear more. Eight compositions equally split between the drummer and the trumpeter. Punchy avant-jazz, lively, with room for free improvisation without growing direction-less. Quite a find from Red Toucan who, with this CD, comes back to scored jazz after a string of free improvisation releases." - Monsieur Délire, Journal d'écoute / Listening Diary, France, 2011-08-12