third album of the quartet, released in 2007

"Good saxophone players, really good ones, are hard to come by. When you hear one, you know it, and you know it in about ten seconds. Reto Suhner is such a saxophone player. I first became aware of him about three years ago when his quartet ‘ s CD, “Montag”, came to me (reviewed in the Sept/Oct 2004 “Saxophone Journal”). His sound, then and now, is completely unique; dark, rich, almost one dimensional without being lifeless or colorless. Truly the possessor of a sound and style all his own, this native of Switzerland is just 33 years old. While spending the majority of his time in Europe, Suhner has been to New York long enough to study with saxophonists Dick Oatts, Billy Drewes and Rich Perry, as well as attend workshops with Jerry Bergonzi, Ed Neumeister and others.
On this CD Suhner plays soprano, alto and tenor saxophones and is aided by Lester Menezes (piano), Fabian Gisler (bass), and Dominik Burkhalter (drums). Additionally, Andy Tschopp and Simon Scheiwiller are added on trombone and horn respectively on three tracks. The original music was written by Suhner and Menezes, and while it has structure, does not fit into any standard song form. The melody, on “Urs Has Plans” by Menezes is played very freely by alto, piano and bass, and is followed by a kind of group improvisation over a pedal point. All the voices weave in and out to make what amounts to a beautiful improvised counterpoint. The title tune by Suhner is a straight eighth Latin groove, with a sparse melody employing the additional horns voiced very much like Herbie Hancock ‘ s “Speak Like A Child”. Again, the improvisation is presented as a group, with all participants entering and leaving at will. The band members are obviously really listening to one another, because at no time does the music sound chaotic.
Suhner‘s playing of all three saxophones is of the highest calibre, but for me his real voice is the alto, with soprano a close second. Listen to him play “Schwane im Weltall”, the alto quietly wails and cries at once, he even growls to make his point. “The Fourth Uneasy Piece”, rife with attitude and personality is showcase for his soprano voice. Suhner ‘ s playing is superb on many levels, not the least of which is his capacity to make every note a thing of beauty.

Saxophone Journal (USA)"