In 2009 American percussionist and composer Gerry Hemingway relocated in Luzern, Switzerland, and found himself in a thriving community of musicians and artists with whom he has forged new relationships. Chief among those relationships are the guitarist Manuel Troller and saxophonist and bass clarinetist Sebastian Strinning. As a group they began exploring their collective invention in 2013 in Luzern. Now Tree Ear offers the international community an inspired crystallization and synthesis of their musical thinking in the powerful debut CD/LP “Witches Butter”. As the cover and the titles reveal the stakes and the willingness to take risks are high and consequently the results for us to hear are compelling and breathtaking. Hemingway, Troller and Strinning recognize the value and importance of being fluent in non-idiomatic as well as idiomatic musical vocabularies, all of which play a role in the content of what you hear presented in this exciting new release.

Hemingway is familiar to many Clean Feed listeners from his prolific manifestations as a composer, percussionist and improvisor. He is restless in his desire to explore new territories of artistic creation and with that continually forging new relations in his expanding artistic community. He as well believes in and maintains long and rich musical relationships over many years such as BassDrumBone which celebrates it’s 40th anniversary in 2017.

All Compositions by Sebastian Strinning (SUISA), Manuel Troller (SUISA), Gerry Hemingway (GEMA/BMI)

Recorded February 27 & 28, 2016 at Bau 4, Altbüron, Switzerland by Gerry Hemingway | Recording edited and mixed by Gerry Hemingway | Mastered by Nate Wood at Kerseboom Mastering
Produced by Tree Ear | Executive Producer Pedro Costa – Trem Azul | Front cover & inside cover photographs by Rob Nienburg | Photo Design by Gerry Hemingway | Cover Design by Travassos