Shapes and Shadows Review Quotes

"Overall, the band pursues a credo that rings loud and clear as they enter discovery mode amid synergistic interplay and a ballsy approach – it all translates into something rather special." – Glenn Astarita EJazzNews

 "Freejazzers, rejoice! Here is a sublime sax trio. Martin Speicher (sax and clarinet), Georg Wolf (bass) and Lou Grassi (drums), bring some top level free improvization. The three musicians listen well and carefully to each other, they search for new expressive power, and they find it . . . it is a wonderful experience to notice how out of this loose cluster of notes a musical unity evolves which is hard to define, yet which is unmistakably there. And that just characterizes the whole album. Strong discipline and self-control, together with a common focus on exploration in the creation of their musical vision permeate all tracks, and the result is more than worth listening to.  . . creative, intense and impactful modern jazz."                                 http://freejazz-stef.blogspot.com/

 "  . . . chock full of  intracutaneous interplay, inventive ingeniousness and technical wizardry but also gifted with a passionate vibe which is rare to   find these days . . . this record made me feel  somehow lucky even in a very hard period; that's what consciousness  can achieve through powerful music. This trio releases that kind of  power in abundant quantities. Highly recommended."   Massimo Ricci Touching Extremes

 "Much has been said about the art of the improvising trio since the triangular interaction between Ornette Coleman, David Izenzon, and Charles Moffett. Now Martin Speicher, Georg Wolf, and Lou Grassi contribute another chapter to that long tradition. Shapes and Shadows is a wonder of musical integration . . . It is proof that real collective music is possible. This is structured improvisation, explorative, agitated, surprising, and yet always maintaining focus. . . Expressionist and abstract, this is music of the first order, as dense as a lava river and as complex as a mathematical equation, yet inviting us to come a board with the seduction of a natural phenomenon."  Bruce Gallanter DMG Newsletter

"No holds are barred . . . a mind-bending foray into total improvisation . . . majestically beautiful realms of noise, force and near silence . . . an extraordinary study in character and space .. ."  Marc Medwin  All About Jazz New York