When Sylvie Courvoisier went to New York almost 30 years ago, she only wanted to stay for three months. Today, the Swiss-born pianist and composer, born in 1968, is still there and has established herself as a formative figure of the downtown scene. She has worked with Mary Halvorson and John Zorn, plays in a wide variety of formations from duos to quintets, and writes music for radio, ballet and theater. Last year she was awarded the German Jazz Prize in the category Piano/Keyboards International.
Her work in this piano trio with drummer Kenny Wollesen and bassman Drew Gress is characterized by abrupt breaks, dissonances, and changes in form. The sound spectrum ranges from a filigree aesthetic to elastic swing to virtuosic power play, at times reminiscent of the old master of piano ecstasy, Cecil Taylor. Courvoisier is a master of "instant preparation" when she reaches inside the piano and lets notes clang metallically.