Tales

In trying to sum up the output of German instrumental trio Firasso, the best I can do is chamber folk. Although, this band are definitely more than the sum of their parts and, for that matter, the influences they cite as the building blocks of their sound. Each member brings something different to the table: Robert Beck, his impeccable classical clarinet technique; Marko Kassl, a wealth of experience interpreting ambitious new works involving his accordion; and Nils Imhorst, a sense of harmonic adventure that only a jazz bassist could provide.

Here we have elements from many traditions, including Balkan, klezmer, tango and French musette, all tastefully woven together into arrangements that allow each player to explore the full expressive range of their instrument, creating a cohesive narrative within every track and across the album as a whole. From start to finish the recording is so sensitively performed that you really get the feeling that each player is listening more to his fellow musicians than to himself. If only for the hypnotic slinkiness of ‘Valle’ or the ephemeral shades of ‘El Amor en los Tiempos del Corona’ (translate that one for yourself ), this is well worth a listen.