Reviews for Meyer & Wind Live
Reviews for Meyer & Wind Live
1) Magazine of the International Society of Bassists
(ISB)
Following a number of earlier bass/guitar duos, Martin Wind and Ulf Meyer
bring us a fresh approach to this format. Recorded in the historic Orpheus
Theatre in Flensburg, Germany this two-some delivers a lively performance of
standards and original compositions. Ulf Meyer relates that both he and Wind
grew up in Northern Germany and were heavily influenced by European jazz
musicians. The duo of guitarist Philip Catherine and Danish bassist Niels-Henning
Oersted –Pedersen were a big influence. Of Wind, Meyer says, “Swing is the
key work. I am definitely a friend of the bass and I appreciate Martin’s
talent as a heavy swinger with a powerful punch and attack in the Ray Brown
tradition.” Wind, for his part, claims that Meyer is his best friend and
they have much in common musically and personally. Their friendship is
obvious as you listen to them perform. The duo’s third recording was
co-produced by them, and may be ordered by contacting either of them at
their e-mail addresses above.
The opening track, Out of Nowhere, features the bass and guitar in a
wonderful interplay, reminiscent of an earlier Red Mitchell/Jim Hall duo.
Ulf Meyer’s lovely and unusual composition, Oil on Canvas, gives a view of
the guitarist’s writing ability. On the jazz standard, I’m Beginning to see
the light, a funky groove is set by Meyer, which leads nicely into Wind’s
pizz solo. Martin Wind’s composition Family, which was premiered at the 1999
ISB convention, swings like crazy with tasteful play by both. Duke
Ellington’s Just Squeeze Me, brings us a neatly done arco solo (with not a
little humor) and Mercy, Mercy, Mercy, by Joe Zawinul, a top 40 hit via a
Cannonball Adderly recrding in the ‘60s, displays the diversity of this
daring duo. I hope Mr. Zawinul gets a copy of this. Meyer’s When Orpheus
gets the Blues, is a slow, down and dirty blues written especially for the
occasion. Wind trades fours with himself, arco and pizz, and you have to
hear it to believe it. Do you know what it means to miss New Orleans closes
the set; and Louis Armstrong would have been proud of it.
In November, 2000, Wind received a very important award from his homeland.
He is the first jazz artist to receive the “Cultural Award of the State of
Schleswig-Holstein”.
This prize is awarded every other year to an outstanding artist from one of
the fields of music, poetry, film, painting, etc. Wind’s hometown of
Flensburg is in Northern Germany, and the governor for his state presented
the prize.
-Review by Paul Pearce