It bears the plain and simple title Two. But the compositions on this CD have absolutely nothing to do with plain and simple music. Beat Keller’s songs dwell in a wonderful state of suspension between finely structured avant-garde music and big band-like neo swing, just as on this first stroke of genius, his high highly praised debut CD: Keller’s 10, Unit Records 2008. Beat Keller remains true to his stylistic integrity, spreading his musical attention in many directions: Short, imaginative, rather abstract groove-less passages of the entire band flow or join in driving swing and the occasional Latin American clave of the rhythm group. The musicians set their excellently recorded solos upon this foundation. The band creates jazz at the highest level in a uniquely sounding “large formation.” Beat Keller presents his understanding of an open, but also always imaginary jazz, one that exists in interplay of highly emotional swing feelings and complex forms. The trademark of Beat Keller’s music remains the multiplicity from the marching band all the way to the jazz guerilla avant-garde with the highest amount of dialog and discourse possible.

This is pure excitement! Beat Keller leads us even further into his musical cosmos full of surprising links and innovative turns – as listeners we can make associations to the music of J. Adams and M. Davis through G. Ligeti and T. Monk all the way to I. Stravinsky and F. Zappa.