Cuneiform: The Great Harry Hillman – TILT / Dieses Wochenende für Five
The Great Harry Hillman is a Swiss post-jazz quartet from Lucerne, a lakeside city in the country’s center. About the name: Harry Hillman was an American hurdler who received three gold medals at the 1904 Summer Olympics, memorable as the first Olympics held outside Europe, in St. Louis.
The Great Harry Hillman, the band, formed in 2009 – 105 years after Hillman’s victory, a landmark noted by the band – and in 2015 won the 2015 ZKB Jazz Prize. And yes, you’re correct to assume that a European jazz band named in tribute to American athlete Harry Hillman is not your ‘normal’ jazz band adhering to staid standards. Since forming, this band of energetic Millennial musical iconoclasts have played nearly a hundred concerts, performing at jazz festivals and touring extensively across Northern Europe. They’ve recorded two previous albums, 2013’s self-released Livingston and 2015’s Veer Off Course, released by the German label Klaeng records. Now they’ve joined the Cuneiform Records roster for their third release, Tilt.
The Great Harry Hillman’s music combines jazz, rock, and improv into a subdued, layered, yet thrilling sound that will appeal to fans of bands like Radian or Tortoise, as well as modern jazz artists like Mary Halvorson and Nik Bartsch’s Ronin. Mahnig’s drumming is light but emphatic, his snare ticking like a fine watch as he sets up shifting rhythms that clatter and bounce. Koch’s guitar work is often as much about atmosphere as riffs, though he can get loud at times; at the climax of “354°,” his guitar is a Sonic Youth-like clang, as Fischer erupts into long screams. Huwyler’s bass is almost dubby at times, maintaining a subtle but powerful presence that gives even the group’s most abstract pieces (“Agnes fliegt”) a solid core. And while Fischer is often playing the most overtly melodic role, he’s just as happy to step into the background and simply comment on the others’ interactions.
The Great Harry Hillman thinks of itself as a collective, with nobody dominating the creative process and everyone making their voice heard. “We have music from all four bandmembers on the album,” say the musicians, who speak as one. “Everyone brings tunes, fragments, et cetera, and we finalize every song together. Everything is a collective decision at the end.” This philosophy has helped them to create a sound like no one else, one that has gradually mutated over time while retaining its essence. “Although we all have different backgrounds and work in different genres, it is very important that we are always open to any kind of influences from each of us.”
released May 26, 2017
The Great Harry Hillman:
Nils Fischer: reeds
David Koch: guitar, efx
Samuel Huwyler: bass
Dominik Mahnig: drums
Compositions by: Nils Fischer (1, 8), Dominik Mahnig (2, 5), David Koch (3, 4, 6), Samuel Huwyler (7)
Recorded at Suburban Sound Winterthur
Recorded and mixed by Manuel Egger November 2016
Mastered by Greg Calbi ‒ Sterling Sound NYC
Artwork by Samuel Huwyler (humusartwork.ch)
Supporting foundations:
Stadt Luzern FUKA-Fonds, Aargauer Kuratorium, Regionalkonferenz Kultur Region Luzern, Swiss Arts Council Pro Helveti
1) Click this album link: https://cuneiformrecords.bandcamp.com/album/tilt
2) Click „Buy Digital Album“
3) Type „10“ into the Name your price field (The discount comes next! 😉 ).
4) Type the word „FIVE“ into the Discount code field.
5) Click „apply“
6) Click „Check out now“ or „Add to Cart“