Paris

The 24/44 digital sound of Paris is both consistent and of a high quality, the concert was clearly recorded with a release in mind rather than being a mish mash of pieces from different events as on Spaces, noise levels are notably low and the opening track ‘Prolog’ starts very quietly indeed. Frahm plays a glass harmonica which consists of glass bowls of varying sizes which rotate so that they can be played with wetted fingers a bit like a keyboard. This creates slightly ghostly tones that provide a calm introduction to the album as a whole. OK, nine minutes of long, ethereal high notes is a challenge. That said, you are rewarded in the final quarter with some lovely organ and a tempo that ebbs and flows from calm to crescendo and back to chocolately bass notes that warrant the biggest of systems.

‘Right Right Right’ is extended to twice its original length and to very good effect, as usual Frahm gives us a slow burn, he takes the opposite approach to the Ramones, and this beauty evolves at a gentle pace. It does so like a pulsating light that appears on the horizon and slowly comes toward the listener, turning into sculpted sound in the process with a full bandwidth climax that has the audience in raptures. Frahm speaks to the audience afterwards. He sounds like a quiet version of the German film maker Werner Herzog and asks them to make animal sounds; not monkeys or dogs but rather insects and other less easily imitated creatures. They respond enthusiastically and he records and loops the sound which is integrated into the piece ‘Briefly’ which seems like a misnomer for a track that stops one second short of 18 minutes, and which only really comes to life in the last four of them when Frahm unleashes some big low notes and intense high ones. Again the degree of engagement depends on level, the album can be enjoyed as both back- and foreground entertainment depending on the chosen volume of playback. But it always rewards the dedicated listener.

‘You Name It’ is a sublime solo piece on electric piano. It gently radiates calm and peace with plentiful reverb creating a strong sense of depth. ‘Spells’ is also a highlight and one that is more than usually reminiscent of Steve Reich, yet Frahm’s stamp is very clear in the way that it builds so gradually, taking a good half of its 5’14” to get into the room proper. He uses a voice like tone to add emotion and a percussive melody to build up to a climax that continues on ‘Spells’ where things get really lively thanks to rich, chewy synth that sounds glorious and inspires the audience erupt for a full minute. 

The final high point on Paris is the track that inspired me in the first place, ‘Hammers’, it sounds different here because the keyboard has changed but its repetitive piano notes are as entrancing as ever. Possibly because of its familiarity this piece brings a lump to the throat that few can achieve with such apparently simple composition, there’s even some burble from the man himself in true Jarrett/Gould style, I am blown away.

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