Takase & Mahall & Wouters

Since 1995, the two-in-one combination of Aki Takase and Rudi Mahall has been the benchmark for the hand-moulding of the jazz canon into a bewitching and diverting spectacle. From light-hearted entertainment to synchronicity and intellectual musical juggling. From atmospheric black and white films to Sunday afternoon walks. With symbiosis as the keyword. 'Duet for Dolphy' was a novelty. An adaptation of Handy's 'St Louis Blues' and Waller's 'Jazz Age' repertoire followed. 'Evergreen' is currently the last in the line. With 'The Dessert' as intermezzo. Takase juggles with styles, creating a musical patchwork in his search for a balance between recognisability and radical individuality; between healthy nostalgia and a more modern sound. Mahall's bass clarinet colours in the field of tension. In duet with Takase, the effect of Mahall's instrument is at its best when merrily switching between snippets of melodies, rattling lines of old film music, clusters, and derailments into atonality. The result is a musical feast that stimulates the auditory senses. Takase's apple cake, panna cotta and black pudding is humorously and daringly punctured by Mahall. An adventurous, calorie-laden addition to every musical diet. In the second half of the concert, the conservatoire alumnus Nathan Wouters joins the kitchen team. Looking forward to their ratatouille? To cite Braxton: "Creativity is not a dessert".