Klaus Gesing
Glauco Venier


play Songs


What could be the reason, in the beginning of the third millenium, for publishing a CD of 
songs from the Great American Songbook?
Aren´t there already enough recordings of these songs by the Great Ones?
Milestones in the development of this form of music, examples of outstanding musicality, 
able to fill even the most talented musicians with awe -why try to compete with them?
To think about it, aren´t there also enough examples of recordings done by musicians of later 
generations which, upon comparison, are generally found to be lacking something, simply 
because of their preoccupation with keeping that particular style alive?
Upon listening to the new CD of the Klaus Gesing/Glauco Venier Duo it becomes clear very 
quickly why these two exceptional musicians don´t need to fear comparisons of this sort:
Comparisons are not valid in such an individual and improvisational musical context.
Klaus Gesing and Glauco Venier "play" music in the truest sense of the word - songs are 
changed, separated, put together again, themes are modified, broken into little pieces or 
quoted word by word.
Transitions appear, along with new harmonies. Arrangements come into existence and are 
discarded shortly afterwards, rhythms twisted, made faster, made slower...
Klaus Gesing and Glauco Venier play a risky game.
They go on stage without having agreed on either the order of the tunes or any possible 
arrangements. Consequently, they continue not only to surprise their audiences, but also 
themselves...
In this way they construct musical archs of spanning distances in time that are characterized 
by great intensitiy and intimacy at the same time.
The rewards of this exceedingly adventurous way of improvising  are apparent in their new 
CD  "...play Songs" (Recorded live in Slovenia, February 2002).
This CD is a bow to jazz history because the repertoire goes back to the very beginnings - but 
it´s also a return to the essence of improvisation, departing from the more trodden paths of 
contemporary jazz practice:With childlike naivity and the earnest inherent in it, they leave 
behind all musical borders and stylistic presets and consequently find the space to concentrate 
on the musical moment and on the force that lies in its passing...