liner notes by jos demol (july 2002) conference call’s a solid, working band composed of four strong individuals with their very own identity. i had the pleasure joining them during a small belgian tour where they were invited by the jazz’halo music days. great fun! this band’s really ace! their compositions are adventurous and full of emotions and there’s a lot of fine humour involved. it’s one of the most intriguing bands i have heard in quite some time. german bass clarinetist and saxophone player gebhard ullmann has a warm sonority and he’s really a bundle of pure energy. i didn’t know him before, but it was my friend emile clemens who told me about this great musician he had heard at the cornelia street café in new york. gebhard was sending us some of his earlier work with his tá lam zehn project, the clarinet trio, his trio with andreas willers and phil haynes, and his quartet with ellery eskelin, drew gress and phil haynes: a revelation! michael jefry stevens and joe fonda i already knew from the fonda/stevens group with the astonishing herb robertson on trumpet and the marvellous harvey sorgen on drums. stevens remains one of my favourite pianists. he has the ability to be functional in his accompaniment (sometimes it’s like a rippling brook) but to be revealing in his solos. the small guy on the bass is smiling most of the time but he’s working very hard on the four strings and the full body of his instrument. jazz’halo released his solo album „when it’s time“ in which he really gives you an idea that he’s a part of the instrument. well, here it’s the same when you hear him soloing. it must be hard labour! a solid rock and together with the drummer par excellence matt wilson, one of the best rhythm sections of modern jazz. i heard matt first with the dewey redman quartet, together with that other great bassist cameron brown. matt’s playing the drums as a melodic instrument. he knows when to give space to the rest of his mates. he’s a very musical drummer who sometimes reminds me of the late ed blackwell. seeeing conference call is a joy: the greatest music, a lot of fun and positive vibrations!

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