"Return Flight" is the name of the quartet's album. A title that for Max Clouth has several meanings at once, containing flight, escape and the course of things, a back and forth - central theme: being on the road.
Subtle, not striking is the motto. Only once does the Indian long-necked lute with its so typical shimmering drone notes sound. in the title track of the record, played by Hindol Deb. And one of two vocal pieces on "Return Flight", sung in Bengali, is called "Charukeshi", the name of a raga which is also the basis of this piece. Which you don't hear right away. We learn: credibility does not mean being stuck only in one's own culture.
This is exactly what "Return Flight" documents in the band context with bassist Timothy Roth (for the tour Markus Wach replaces him) and drummer Martin Standke and with selected studio guests like Shruti Ramani (vocals on "Noon Tune"), Michael Wahab (tabla), percussionist Ziya Tabassian (riq), Jason Schneider (with trumpet and flugelhorn - ethereal-nordic like Nils Petter Molvær) and Christopher Herrmann. The latter's cello is heard in the album's finale, "Sanju's Waltz," for Clouth's young daughter, whose laughter opens the lullaby. It's a baroque-like waltz that swings like gypsy jazz, to which the guitarist scats. On a listening album like "Return Flight", Max Clouth allows himself and the listener a little break with the groovy "Disco Stu" ("Not to be taken 100% seriously."). No less surprising is "Kusadasi Kelim," actually named after a carpet and animated by Turkish art music, which Clouth learned about through baglama virtuoso Deniz Köseoglu.
"Return Flight" is modern jazz with Indian spice and a great potential to touch listeners everywhere.
Further information:
http://www.max-clouth.net/en_US/
