This is an album that you should expect to spend some time with… to dig beneath the surface to unravel the clues behind the pieces
Unit Records: UTR 5288
Christoph Irniger (tenor saxophone); Marc Perrenoud (piano)
Recorded 13/14 September 2025 in Geneva, Switzerland
Swiss compatriots Christoph Irniger and Marc Perrenoud have put together a fascinating set of originals with an intimate stripped-down sound that works on a number of levels. First impressions are of a lively dialogue between the two, often playing in counterpoint, where each has much to say. But beneath the surface there is more going on, so much more.
Taking inspiration from a conceptual approach adopted by the great innovator Lennie Tristano, who often used the harmonic structure of familiar jazz standards as a starting point for writing new lines of melody, the duo have composed their own ‘new lines’ working from some of their favourite standards. We know that at least four of the album’s 11 pieces have been developed in this way, maybe more, though their origins are not so clear on first listening.
With knowledge of the methods used, you cannot help but dig deeper to search for your own clues to affirm the roots of each piece. The opener ‘Dry Sensation’ is acknowledged as being based on Charlie Parker’s classic ‘Confirmation’. Don’t expect any obvious signs of the original though, as the melodic roads taken are in very different directions, but you sense the players’ delight as the piece skips along, retaining the cheerful ambition of the original with resonating echoes of recognition.
‘Bluesetto’ may be unrecognisable from Toots Thielmans’ ‘Bluesette’, from which it is drawn, with the lines of melody working into unexpected places, but it does carry a similar freewheeling momentum, emotional feel and tone palette. Similarly, ‘Déjà Vu’, based on Bill Evans’ ‘Time Remembered’, sounds like a distant rather than close relation to the original, paced as a slow, contemplative walk.
‘Fast Finish’ is a reworking of John Coltrane’s ‘Countdown’, which rather fittingly was itself adapted from the harmonic structure of Miles Davis’ ‘Tune Up’. The piece retains something of the intensity and urgency of the original, but not the detail, working up their own swirling vortex. The duo really do make these pieces their own, literally, pointing the compass direction away from familiar paths, which they do with great creativity.
‘Luce Oscura’, previously recorded by Irdiger’s band Pilgrim as a gently stated melancholic mood piece, retains the identity of the track, but is here explored with more purpose on the two instruments and increased emotional impact.
Elsewhere, the compositional style is less experimental but no less intriguing, also displaying the players’ highly developed simpatico sensibilities. ‘Abandoned Eggs in a Pan’ paints a mental image and soundscape of welling sadness. The jaunty ‘Belle’ breaks the mood nicely, with the duo shadowing each other closely in ever increasing concentric circles. ‘Hold Up’ has a playful energy, exploring the wonders of an exciting new world. ‘The Unit’ rounds things off nicely with Irniger’s warming blues tones sounding over Perrenoud’s promenading rhythm.
This is an album that you should expect to spend some time with: to take in the textural impact of the overall sound; to listen out for the intricate routes traced by each player; and to dig beneath the surface to unravel the clues behind the pieces, which is compelling.
