In 1998, the trio of Michel Wintsch (Geneva), Baenz Oester, (Berne), Switzerland), and Gerry Hemingway, (New Jersey, USA) began to tour and record together. Earliar, Wintsch, and Hemingway worked together for the first time in 1995. They recorded with Martin Shuetz, a cellist, for Unit Records. Chris Parker, of BBC music, writes “…the compositions of the trio are “wholly absorbing, thrillingly unpredictable, cleverly constructed pieces that elicit performances that are extraordinary subtlety, delicacy, and scrupiously controlled power.” Andy Hamilton, of Jazz Review, observes that “The end result is always fascinating and often compelling, displaying an obvious compositional intelligence …”. The trio’s diverse compositional sensibilities have led to a compelling evolution in its sound and conception. From these sensibilities has emerged an openness and willingness to listen, as well as a willingness for open improvisation. The WHO trio is now three musicians who have a refined musical listening that yields an unusual musical sensitivity. They also agree that collective creation has priority over individual contributions. Their honesty and immediacy engage all audiences in every context. They have created a unique sound together, both as a trio and occasionally with larger ensembles. The sound is transparent, which allows for subtler and more delicate details to be easily perceived by all listeners. Their rhythmic interactions have become more fluid and they have a rhythm that is more dynamic, eliciting tension, excitement, and fluency. Every time they meet for another project or tour, a new quality has emerged in their expressive repertoire. Michel introduced some classic French “chansons”, which gave rise to a deeper resonance in their music. Another occasion saw the trio develop their ability to groove with all kinds of powerful music, some of which can be found on “Sharing The Thirst”. You can hear the traditional jazz instrumentation rock of Massive Attack, cook like Fela and swing like Count Basie.
