"Now Oliver Schwerdt, long-term leader of the miraculous EUPHORIUM_freakestra formerly coming up with such illustrious pseudonyms as Birg Borgenthal, Elan Pauer and Ra Ra da Boff introduces himself on behalf of his civil name as a stakeholder in the art of piano solo. After his adventurous collaborations with as many as ten (!) masters of contemporarily improvised music which, form Barre Phillips to Robert Landfermann, released influential unaccompanied solo records during the currency of six decades Schwerdt's approach is nothing less than to perform an arc of tension lasting about three quarters of an hour - only on the keys.

At the same moment the double album Prestige/No Smoking is presenting a colourful celebration of a multiplicity of jazz historical hints and philosophical excursions. In his magnificent liner notes Schwerdt tells us not only about his experience of one of the last vast rolls of Fred van Hove. He also has written a piece on the prominent role of Alexander von Schlippenbach at an almost secret concert date. Discussing the apex between the Maritime and Musical Model Schwerdt sums up with a far reaching line of the respective Deleuze/ Guattari poetry considering the continuous development of form: "it is the fusion of harmony and melody in favor of the production of properly rhythmic values, the pure act of drawing of a diagonal across the vertical and the horizontal." "-Euphorium

"So far we met Oliver Schwerdt two times in the Vital Weekly columns, as a member of the Old Luten Quintet with veteran Ernst Ludwig Petrowsky. So far this ended up in two CDs released on Schwerdt's own Euphorium-label, but another release is to be expected in this series. However Schwerdt, a German jazz musician, improviser, musicologist and journalist, from Eisenach living nowadays in Leipzig, is already in the scene for a while. In 1999 for example he started his own Euphorium Freakastra. He uses several pseudonyms like Birg Borgental, Elan Pauer and the Dada-inspired name Ra Ra Da Boff. As a musicologist he wrote the extensive work 'Große Monografie zu Günter Baby Sommer und zum Räumlichen in der Musik', a theoretical work on free jazz drummer Sommer. After releasing albums on his own Euphorium label for about ten years, playing with Axel Dörner, Leo Smith, Barre Philips and many others, time has come now for a first solo effort: 'Prestige/No smoking', an impressive double CD-recording. Paralleled by a second solo release for the Portuguese Creative Sources Recordings. 'Prestige/ No Smoking' was recorded on june 2nd, 2015 in Leipzig. Two days later the recordings for 'Yamaha/Speed' were made, having Schwerdt more or less in the same flow, shape and condition I suppose. Torsten Schroth excellently recorded both sessions in the same studio with Schwerdt playing on a Yamaha CFX. A first difference between the two releases: an extensive booklet accompanies the double CD with liner notes by Schwerdt, where as these are completely absent in her other release. Liner notes have Schwerdt interviewing himself, a quasi dialogue with and by himself. Is his solo improvisation also a kind of (quasi) dialogue, or is monologue the more fitting term? One would say monologue, the more the recordings were made in the studio without the interaction with a public. But in the end I would say the term 'inner dialogue' is the most descriptive one. The double CD offers two lengthy and lively piano improvisations: 'Prestige'(41:13) and 'No Smoking'(48:26). I don't know if this is Schwerdt's normal time span. But two solo improvisations of over 40 minutes is quite an exercise. Also for the listener it is a long journey. But time passed by quickly, listening to these eloquent improvisations. He propels his improvisations full-energy forward, in a playful manner. It is one continuous overwhelming stream, with changes in speed, dynamics and intensity. Moments of silence are rare. Sometimes one-hand contrasts with what the other one is doing. At other moments they supplement one other in building and weaving giant structures. References to classical music and jazz are never too obvious. For this reason I compare him with Fred van Hove, of whom I recently reviewed a duo effort with Roger Turner. Where van Hove often plays the inside of the piano, Schwerdt keeps his fingers on the piano manual, not using so-called extended techniques. While listening I never had the feeling of 'why doing this and not something else'. The music follows a strong inner logic. Same experience I had with his improvisations on 'Yamaha/Speed'. Improvisations are shorter here, but of a similar style. Exciting music, played with spirit and enthusiasm by a gifted musician who knows well tradition and has his own story to tell."-Dolf Mulder

Jewel case double CD, includes 2 booklets, a 4-page insert, and a 26-page booklet with a "Conversation with Myself" by Oliver Schwerdt in German & English.

Get additional information at Vital Weekly