Gerd Dudek has been active on the European jazz scene since the early '60s, but his discography as a leader is paper thin. Evan Parker, who plays with him in the Globe Unity Orchestra and runs the small label Psi, has great respect for his art. So he salvaged a studio session recorded in February 1998 and released it in March 2002. Regardless of Parker's biography and the label's other releases, 'Smatter is jazz, almost 100 percent pure. The title comes from a tune by Kenny Wheeler, one of three interpreted here. The remainder of the set is occupied by renditions of Body and Soul, By George, and The Peacocks -- all standards. Dudek shifts between soprano and tenor, depending on the piece's mood (romantic or lively, respectively). Electric guitarist John Parricelli, bassist Chris Laurence, and drummer Tony Levin (of Mujician fame) back him up. The amount of Wheeler material ensures a dreamy ECM feel for the first third of the disc (Parricelli's relaxed playing and use of pedal volume contribute much to the atmosphere). Paradoxically, the beat-up standard Body and Soul yields the most feverish moments, the only ones illustrating Dudek's interests in free jazz. The Peacocks proves how rich and seductive his soprano tone can be. 'Smatter makes a nice straight-ahead session, elegant but lacking challenge. ~ François Couture, Rovi

1		Phrase Three
2		Ma Bel
3		'Smatter
4		Body and Soul
5		By George
6		The Peacocks

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