Compass

Compass is a voyage at many levels: through music and text, with images evoking the freshness of sea air and the colors of wild flowers.

A voyage through polar extremes of jazz - from Chick Corea to Sun Ra, through folk songs in the slipstream of Luciano Berio, through poetry of James Joyce and William Carlos Williams.

Also a journey through subtly undulating chamber music, improvised and otherwise. Through it all, Susanne Abbuehl's cool, undemonstrative-yet-strangely-mesmeric voice is the unifying factor. She sings and speaks and whispers directly into the listener's ear: an intimate, 'interior' voice, singing like thinking aloud.

Recorded in 2003 and 2004. Personnel: Susanne Abbuehl (voice); Christof May (clarinet, bass clarinet); Michel Portal (clarinet); Wolfert Brederode (piano); Lucas Niggli (drums, percussion).