Traveling Pulse [CD]

Vibraphonist, drummer and composer Jim Hart’s Cloudmakers Trio - with double bassist Michael Janisch and drummer Dave Smith - introduced a distinctly energised take on the traditional vibraphone ensemble. Taking the vision a significant step further, ‘Traveling Pulse’ is the first release from an augmented Cloudmakers Five project introducing saxophonist/ clarinettist Antonin-Tri Hoang and electric guitarist Hannes Riepler- a superbly- produced live recording garnered from two resounding nights at London’s Vortex Jazz Club which concluded their January-March 2017 tour. The breadth of sound is striking, with Hoang’s alto sax or clarinet on top, threading his distinctive reedy tones through, while Riepler offers an impressive range of guitar textures and electronic effects. That coalescence alone offers a very different dynamic to the more usual inclusion of piano, often conjuring a bewildering sonic mesh; but when merged with the synergetic drive of Hart, Janisch and Smith... that’s where the alchemistic reactions are sparked. Hart’s ascension, especially over the past decade, has been nothing short of remarkable. Much sought-after across Europe, he has worked alongside an illustrious roster of musicians including Stan Sulzmann, Sir John Dankworth and Dame Cleo Laine, John Taylor and Kenny Wheeler.