Schultze, Ehwald & Rainey
Public Radio
The camaraderie between Rainey, Schultze, and Ehwald is tangible; they've been longtime collaborators, not only in this trio but in Schultze's exploration of the Buchla synthesizer with his Large Ensemble. Although the first two albums by the trio featured mostly composed material, for 'public radio' the trio decided for spontaneous improvisation. The result shows not only how strong the trio has become, but also how deeply they nowcommunicate without needing a roadmap of compositions. They build on each other's ideas in real time. The trio draws from deep experience, pushing beyond jazz while staying connected to it. Schultze used piano preparations on several tracks, nudging the music toward more experimental territory. They effortlessly break expectations, opening up fresh pathways. In the end, however, it's not about abstraction, any given tradition, or individual contributions. What 'public radio' establishes is how brilliantly Rainey, Schultze, and Ehwald work together, building pieces from the ground up, as a single unit with the confidence to flout rules, embrace pushback, and construct new edifices, confident that the structures will not topple despite its inherent uncertainty. That collective state of mind makes it all work.