Heiner Rennebaum Doppelquartett - Bebop Bizzare [Umland Records 049]

Scheduled for release via Essen's ever active Umland Records camp on July 17th, 2k21 is "Bebop Bizarre", the first full length studio album provided by the Heiner Rennebaum-led Heiner Rennebaum Doppelquartett, an eight piece fusion structure which sees a classical string quartet working with and alongside an improv-savvy Jazz quartet to create something new and previously unheard of. The result is an eight tracks and roughly 44 minutes spanning longplayer, bringing together the best of both worlds - be it in the elegic, yet fast paced opener "November" which evokes memories of complex live Drum'n'Bass approaches of the 90s or the dreamy, twangy late night Jazz variations of "Dido's Lament" whereas "20/20 Vision" is on a well naturalistic, peaceful and almost folksy tip in its combination of multiple string layers and friendly, meandering guitars. Furthermore "Maximum" enters the dancefloor with a dramatic brass intro followed by captivatingly tight, intricate and ever evolving drum structures and an innate momentum that keeps crowds moving to the max, "Kreisel" caters a whirlwind of movements starting out from a longing, romantic angle only to build up noir'esque tension over more than 7 minutes total playtime whilst the title-bearing piece "Bebop Bizarre" provides a hounded, funky, tense and spine-tingling ride for espionage flics of a kind not made anymore and the concluding cut "Oder So" waves goodbye in a well enchanted, timeless manner, providing us with an instrumental journey to the age of yore and even beyond that, telling tales of peace and happiness, dark shadows, tumultous times and mythical beings for a most beautiful closing. Go check.