Art Ensemble’s Famoudou Don Moye excels at Hamburg’s Elbphilharmonie concert hall

The towering Elbphilharmonie concert hall sits on the Hamburg harbour, even more architecturally innovative inside than outside. An eternally chugging slow-gradient escalator curves gently around to the 12th floor, where the grand and medium halls face each other. Gaudi has surely been an influence on the organic wood and stone curvaceousness of the interiors, which are among the most elaborate viewed in a modern concert space.

Don Moye has been a member of the Art Ensemble for most of its history, joining in 1970. He’s still there, with Roscoe Mitchell, today. In fact, 1970 was also the year in which Moye first visited Hamburg. Lately, Famoudou Don Moye has been touring with a trio, highlighting his drumming mastery. This might sound like a potentially minimalist experience, but the presence of the Chicagoan multi-instrumentalist Simon Sieger particularly widens the trio palette. As the almost 90-minute set unwinds, Sieger moves from Hammond organ to trombone, or piano to the congas, where he’s joined by Moye, who’s taking a break from his drumset. Sieger also vocalises in the Tuvan throat-singing mode, as well as neatly fitting into a Cuban santeria-style chant or two.

When on Hammond, the tunes possess a rolling, almost sinister funk groove, but when swapping to ‘bone, Sieger works in tandem with the Marseille trumpeter Christophe Leloil, shifting to tightly thematic bursts, powered by Moye’s bold, extroverted drumkit work. Leloil also picks up flugelhorn for a softer touch. Moye develops sparser, more ritualised solos, providing masterful contrasts of sonic density. The trio favoured shorter pieces, seeming to get briefer as the set progressed, as if they were eager to tip in their excess of ideas. The set began with the threesome perambulating as a ritual vocal/percussion unit, and concluded with a gourd-shakin’ Afro-Cuban chant in similar vein. Moye’s colleagues also whistled together in the background, as the leader introduced his set.

Hopefully this trio will soon venture through UK border control…