Shortcuts – Courvoisier / Rothenberg / Waits

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Sylvie Courvoisier piano · Ned Rothenberg clarinet, alt saxo & shakuhachi · Nasheet Waits drums Ned Rothenberg (saxophone, clarinet), Sylvie Courvoisier (piano), and Nasheet Waits (drums) — three of New York City’s leading improvisers over the past three decades — have come together to form Short Cuts , a collectively led trio shaped by the progressive jazz tradition, from Ornette Coleman to John Zorn , while also drawing inspiration from modern chamber music and cross-cultural musical approaches. With Short Cuts , abstraction is balanced by a grounded, earthy sensibility in the classic New York tradition. Experimental textures meet rhythmic depth, harmonic sophistication fuels free-flowing lyricism, and the music — entirely improvised — grooves and sings while continually steering clear of cliché. “ It feels so natural to improvise with Ned and Nasheet ” says Courvoisier . “ They are both beautiful players, and they both love grooves, even in a freely improvised setting. Winds, piano, and drums also make for a relatively unusual trio. Without a bass player, Ned and I have more room