by Peter Margasak

American trumpeter Russ Johnson and Swiss saxophonist Co Streiff have a strong musical rapport. All seven tunes—three by the former, four from the latter—feature extended themes and improvisations with both players blowing together.
They only occasionally deliver tight unison figures; more often than not they simultaneously shape melodies with an appealing looseness and a kind of sweet-sour tonal contrast, while at other times they revel in some high-wire coun- terpoint. On the opener, "Short Outbreak," it takes about four minutes before the band breaks open for lyric solos from Johnson and Streiff, and both of them are more restrained and mea- sured than their work during the elaborate, rig- orous head.
The tunes suggest an affinity for the golden era of hard-bop—with buoyant, bristling melodies and surging swing grooves joyously sculpted by woody-toned bassist Christian Weber and limber yet explosive drummer Julian Sartorius—while some of the multi-linear horn action harks back to glory days of West Coast jazz. Following a raucous opening of striated trumpet flatulence and nicely sharp alto squawks, Johnson's "The Loper," which seems like a subtle homage to the way Lee Morgan named tunes after their rhythmic thrust, turns into a bluesy burner that sounds like a deep hat-tip to Charles Mingus' "Fables Of Faubus." "Farks Larks" has the stop- start spryness of an Ornette Coleman classic. Despite drawing inspiration from the past, this is no retro trip. The frontline sounds thoroughly contemporary in its phrasing and timbre, while the rhythm section has a dazzling elasticity and a feel for color that's also here and now.
Rating: ****

by Aaron Cohen

Co Streiff–Russ Johnson Quartet, 
In Circles (Intakt)
Alto and soprano saxophonist Co Streiff, from Zurich, and New York-based trumpeter Russ Johnson have been busy leading sessions, and working as sidemen, consistently for at least a decade, but on this exciting disc, they sound like they’ve internalized a sense of mutual affinity all their own. In this (mostly) live session, their energetic dialogue turns into a constant exchange of tricky turns that never lose a potent sense of swing. Sometimes, they build their lines with a quiet intensity, like on Streiff’s title track. On Johnson’s “Farks Lark,” they trade upbeat fours with drummer Julian Sartorius and bassist Christian Weber, but then it becomes a hilarious, and fast-paced, guessing game as to who’s leading whom. Weber also performs a great, low-key unaccompanied intro to Johnson’s “Confession.” Andrey Henkin’s liner notes mention that the approach here is modeled after the relatively lesser-known duets of Bill Barron and Ted Curson in the 1960s. Give these guys more points for their firm and lively sense of jazz history. The Co Streiff–Russ Johnson Quartet will perform at The Stone in New York on March 3 as part of Intakt’s two weeks of curating at the venue. Other concerts that the label will present between March 1 and March 15 include Streiff with guitarist Fred Frith on March 2, the Ingrid Laubrock Orchestra on March 7 and the Oliver Lake and Andrew Cyrille Duo on March 11.

von Manfred Papst

von Marcus Maida

„Die Première des Co Streiff-Russ Johnson-Quartetts wurde ein, wenn nicht DER Höhepunkt des Festivals. Sehr lust- und spielbetont präsentierte sich die Band wie ein Körper, sehr tight und lässig, mit konzentriert-üppiger Klangpalette. Christian Webers Klassebass zeigte hier seinen enormen Facettenreichtum, Streiff (sax) und Johnson (tp) spielten hochinspiriert und spektenreich, und der junge, talentierte Drummer Julian Sartorius, bisweilen einen Rock-Vibe zimmernd wie weiland John Bonham (Led Zeppelin), erwies sich mit stringenten Grooves als begeisternder Treiber in der hochintelligenten, intensiven Themenführung des Vierers. Die Band steigerte sich extrem stimmig und sinnlich, sehr elegant, farbenfroh und lebenslustig in absolut mitreissende Höhen. Stilistische Wechsel zwischen Hard Bop und moderner Ästhetik setzten sich mühelos über leidige Genregrenzen hinweg; die Band lebte zeitgnösssischen Jazz derart intensiv, dass das Publikum im Sitzen zu grooven begann: eine Jazzband, wie man sie sich wünscht!“