Welf Dorr, Elias Meister, Dmitry Ishenko, Kenny Wollesen: So Far So Good
Germany-reared saxophonist Welf Dorr has been a fixture in the New York City avant-garde jazz scene since 1995 and brings his distinctive blend of experimental and free jazz to life with this album. Dorr has been a relentless innovator, merging elements of blues, jazz and rock into his compositions. As leader of his group, Welf Dorr Unit, he has consistently pushed the boundaries of modern jazz. With So Far So Good, he continues this tradition, delivering a collection that is thought-provoking and sonically venturesome.
The album itself is a genre-hopping joyride. One minute one may be cruising down a smooth free bop highway, the next neck-deep in a funky swamp, and with no warning, Dorr has launched into a stratospheric exploration of free jazz that may leave the head spinning (in a good way). It is a testament to Dorr's skill that these disparate elements connect into a cohesive whole, a testament to his ability not just to play the notes, but to truly conduct an aural adventure.
"Keep On Keeping On" is a medium-tempo, loosely enacted funk piece, featuring Elias Meister's skronking guitar work and popping unison choruses with Dorr. Yet during the bridge, the guitarist unleashes ravaging psycho jazz licks. Here, the band is intense but tempered with a happy-go-lucky musical gait. On "Impatience" the musicians fuse an Ornette Coleman-like melody, complete with the leader's sultry phrasings as they teeter toward the free zone. Moreover, Kenny Wollesen's perky drumming is surrounded by his cohorts' smoldering mid-section amid fierce crash and burn breakouts. Dorr slants the primary theme, segueing into the lower registers, led by the drummer's tumbling tom rolls.
"Crazy S" is a brief piece, which contains the soloists' succinct unison lines and the leader's rapid single-note riffs. Here, the guitar's scraping and quivering notes provide the knockout blow. It sounds like a good soundtrack for an off-centered horror movie. Otherwise, fans of the legendary NYC Downtown scene ensemble Curlew may be smitten with this presentation.
Nonetheless, Dorr proves that the journey of jazz is as exciting as ever. He aims to take the listener on a ride through the unexpected twists and turns of his musical landscape—because so far, it has all been very, very good.
Elijah Schiffer - New York City Jazz Record
So Far So Good, Welf Dorr
Being a successful musician in New York necessitates a heavy dose of stylistic flexibility, including a knack for lending authenticity to any genre and a readiness to pivot between genres at any time. The players on So Far So Good—Welf Dorr (alto), Elias Meister (guitar), Dmitry Ishenko (acoustic and electric bass) and Kenny Wollesen (drums)—all have this flexibility, each with his vast range of styles. Together, their versatility is on display in the way they combine disparate musical influences to create a unique ensemble sound that defies easy categorization.
The nine tracks are all Dorr originals; many have funky, danceable grooves from Ishenko and Wollesen, but with more than a little avant-garde edginess. The saxophonist is certainly versed in the language of Ornette Coleman (the lamenting melody of the opening title track brings to mind Coleman’s “Lonely Woman”) and Eric Dolphy (notably in the off-kilter rhythms of “Keep On Keeping On” and “Impatience”), but has a melodic vocabulary all his own.
Meister plays tight melody unisons with the leader, but both in solos and comping he lashes out in unhinged distortion, even on the ballad “Eternity”. Dorr matches the guitarist’s intensity with his own effects, using both delay and harmonizer on “Keep On Keeping On”.
All these elements come together in a particularly effective way on “Bushwick 16”, over a seedy shuffle beat straight out of the No Wave (that late ’70s fusion of punk, funk and free jazz from such bands as late saxophonist James Chance’s Contortions).
Another album highlightis is the well-named “Crazy S”, a multi-tempo barrage of jumpy wide-interval themes less than two minutes
in length. The closing “Sweet Dissonance”, also aptly titled, is a skronky, multiphonic-packed jam in which everyone cuts loose.
The overall mix on So Far So Good is very satisfying, especially for such a noisy album. Every idea is heard clearly, and no one gets in each other’s way even when Meister is at his wildest. It’s easy to imagine that the entire process behind this album was as fun as the music is to listen to.
Christian Genzel - AllMusic
So Far So Good Review
On his 2018 album Blood, saxophonist Welf Dorr dove deep into a tumultuous blend of jazz, rock, funk, and punk, an energetic stew inspired by the guitarist whose name was referenced by the title: James "Blood" Ulmer.
Dorr's 2024 album So Far So Good reduces the rock and funk elements in favor of a jazzier approach, but the punk spirit of Ulmer's music is still very much present. The only holdover from the previous lineup is bassist Dmitry Ishenko -- but new guitarist Elias Meister, a fellow German who's similarly disinterested in stylistic boundaries, shares Dorr's love of Ulmer, and veteran drummer Kenny Wollesen, who has played with everybody from John Zorn to Bill Frisell and Tom Waits, feels equally right at home in a hard-edged genre hybrid setting.
The album title seems to suggest that Dorr and company are taking stock of their previous endeavors, and so the record isn't as explosive as its predecessor, but the group still takes pleasure in riding a solid groove and then using it as a springboard to adventurous improvisation and less rigid segments. Take the opening title track, for example, or "Bushwick 16" with its daring guitar solo. Sometimes the rhythms become looser, as on "Crazy S," or more angular, as on "Keep On Keeping On." Several other tracks display the group's versatility: there's the ballad "Painful Long Goodbye" with its old-school vibe, performed with a delicate sense of restraint, or the impressionistic "Eternity," or the more mystical, exotic "Red Lebanese." All these different approaches make sure that each tune has its own identity while adding up to a showcase of an agile avant-jazz quartet who will hopefully continue their explorations.
Wolf Kampmann - jazzthing.de
Der Name Welf Dorr hat sich hierzulande noch nicht herumgesprochen, die Musik des Saxofonisten vereint aber auf wundersame Weise den Free Funk eines James “Blood" Ulmer mit dem Fake Jazz der frühen Lounge Lizards.
“So Far So Good” (Welf Dorr/Bandcamp) blickt voller Bewunderung in die späten 1980er-Jahre zurück und bündelt deren Erinnerung zu einem belebenden Gebräu für die Gegenwart.
Vor allem Splitter-Gitarrist Elias Meister setzt Akzente, die man sich für die Zukunft merken sollte.
George W. Harris - Jazz Weekly
Welf Dorr / Elias Meister / Dmitry Ishenko / Kenny Wollesen: So Far So Good
Armed with a bright and pungent alto, Welf Dorr joins with Elias Meister/g, Dmitry Ishenko/b and Kenny Wollesen/dr through some kinetic and elliptical tunes. There’s a Monkish quirkiness to pieces such as the bopping “Impatience” and ricocheting “Crazy S”s, while the band creates noirish shadows on the title tune. Meister gets twangy on a Duane Eddy-ish “Bushwick 16” funk fest and Ishenko is reflective on “Eternity” with the team getting serpentine as it winds around “Red Lebanese”. Sharp angled snake charming.
Bruce Lee Galanter - Downtown Music Gallery
Welf Dorr / Elias Meister / Dmitry Ishenko / Kenny Wollesen: So Far So Good
Featuring Welf Dorr on alto sax & compositions, Elias Meister on guitar, Dmitry Ishenko on acoustic bass and Kenny Wollesen on drums. I recall when Welf Dorr dropped off his previous quartet disc around 2018, some six years ago. I was completely blown away by the playing of Welf Dorr on sax and guitarist Dave Ross. For this disc, Mr. Dorr has organized another fine quartet with Elias Meister on guitar, Dmitry Ishenko on bass and Kenny Wollesen on drums.
Although I hadn’t heard of German-born, NYC-based guitarist Elias Meister before now, he does have three previous albums as a leader going back to 2011. I know of bassist Dmitry Ishenko from the work he has done with John Tchicai, Garrison Fewell and Jeff Platz. Master percussionist Kenny Wollesen remains one of Downtown’s most in-demand drummers, from the New Masada Quartet to his work with Sylvie Courvoisier, Sex Mob and Zorn’s Gnostic Trio.
Things begin with the title track, “So Far So Good”, which has a sly groove. Like the previous disc by Mr. Dorr’s quartet, Dorr’s music and choice of guitarist are on target. Mr. Meister takes the first solo on guitar and does an incredible job, stirring up the winds of change with powerful currents.
For “Keep On Keepin’ On”, Dorr has written a most memorable funky riff which has a Monk-like slightly bent groove. Mr. Meister takes a colossal, over the top solo here which reminds me of John Etheridge from the current Soft machine band, one of the best current jazz/rock guitarists around.
“Eternity” is a solemn, ballad-like piece with an haunting melody played exquisitely by the sax and guitar, which includes tasty soulful solos from the sax and guitar.
On “Impatience”, guitarist Meister takes a scary, intense solo which is drenched in effects without going overboard. My man Kenny Wollesen also takes a wonderful short drum solo near the end as well.
On “Red Lebanese” (a type of hashish I believe), the music sounds like a middle-eastern dervish groove, sly, like snake-charming music.
“Painful Long Goodbye” has a fine laid back melody which reminds me of a scene from a film where we are waiting for a certain desired character to show up to make things better.
Jazz purists often claim that jazz/rock or fusion (as it used to be called) is dead or no longer valid. Us open-minded listeners know that this is bullsh*t. This disc shows that jazz/rock can still be exciting, inventive and current. If you dig the current version of Soft Machine or the Spirit Jazz of Tisziji Munoz, then you should really love this disc!
Glenn Astarita - All About Jazz
Welf Dorr Unit: Blood
NY-based, German saxophonist Welf Dorr pilots this exciting multinational quartet through hardcore jazz fusion, funk, and detours into the solar system via these impressive pieces, often executed with tenacity and forthright intentions. Essentially, the band packs a massive punch as they grind out a diverse track mix with plenty of flare-ups, embellished with progressive jazz lines and blistering improvisations.
The band gets right to the point on the opener "Sympathicus," featuring Dave Ross' scorching electric guitar licks along with the leader's piercing lines atop drumming ace, Joe Hertenstein's zesty support. Here, the musicians enjoy a little bloodletting while toggling into the outside jazz realm. On "Blood" they dish out a hard-hitting funk rock groove with the frontline's wily unison runs amid Ross' distortion-spiked phrasings and Dorr's animated spirited attack atop Dmitry Ishenko's bulging bass patterns.
The quartet goes for the gusto during these kinetic performances. And they spin guitar legend James Blood Ulmer's "Big Tree" into a straightforward medium-tempo rocker in concert with Dorr's resonating extended notes, soulful lines and Hertenstein's pummeling tom rolls. Moreover, Ross' feverish riffs and the band's sinewy developments instill a sense that the musicians have become possessed with a take no prisoners line of attack.
Dorr and associates straddle the free zone, where semblances of convention seamlessly interact with mind-bending movements. Ross is often an instigator, partly evidenced on the thorny bop oeuvre "Outcry," where his speedy chord progressions and unorthodox phrasings tender an ominous vista. In sum, the artists breeze through several modulations and alter the pitch with chopping and soothing theme building installments, as they max out the needle on the fun factor gauge.
Bruce Lee Gallanter - Downtown Music Gallery Newsletter
WELF DORR UNIT With DAVE ROSS / DMITRY ISHENKO / JOE HERTENSTEIN - Blood
(Creative Sources 508; Portugal)
Featuring Welf Dorr on alto sax & bass clarinet, Dave Ross on guitar, Dmitry Ishenko on bass and Joe Hertenstein on drums. Local (?) reedman, Welf Dorr, just showed up here at DMG last week (5/6/18) and left us with a couple of discs. I didn’t know much about Mr. Dorr, although he has recorded with Sabir Mateen & Blaise Siwula and utilizes the talents of Downtown players we do know and love: Jonathan Finlayson, Shoko Nagai & Kenny Wolleson on Mr. Welf’s earlier CD. For this disc, Mr. Dorr has put together a serious quartet with Dave Ross on guitar (for Ras Moshe & William Hooker), Dmitry Ishenko (for Garrison Fewell & Jeff Platz) on bass and Joe Hertenstein (for HNH & Jon Irabagon) on drums.
The first thing I noticed about this disc was that the cover looks suspiciously like an earlier album cover by James Blood Ulmer, whose song they also cover and whose nickname, ‘Blood’ is the title of this disc. It should come as no surprise that the music does have that earlier Blood Ulmer-like jazz/rock/funk/punk demon drive! There is great fusion and there is lame (commercial) fusion. This is jazz-rock at its best and it rocks hard. I’ve heard the amazing yet often underrated guitarist Dave Ross with Ras Moshe before but not like the way he delivers here, smoking! The title tune, ‘Blood’, has that old Blood-like sly harmolodic groove/vibe: tight, sorta funky and made to help us feel better with that slamming groove. I like the way the quartet slow things down on “Dixie”, with Mr. Dorr switching to some haunting bass clarinet and Mr. Ross playing his guitar like is trying to break a chain that is holding us down. There are several guitar solos by Dave Ross which will blow your mind here, even at a soft volume, that stream of notes dances furiously like a magic carpet ride. Every once in a great while a disc appears and renews my faith in jazz/rock/fusion. This is the one! I am working on getting a gig for this band because I want to check them out live. You best dig in and go along for the ride with those in the know.
Dave Sumner - Bird is the Worm
Recommended: Welf Dorr Unit - "Blood"
This is powerful stuff. It’s powerful and throws a punch like it means it. But there’s a flow to this music, a lumbering, yet effortless grace to accompany the brutality, and that is the essence of its captivation. Welf Dorr Unit crafts its own version of avant-rock, of protest music that is no less useful to those who just want to stomp or groove for fun as it is for those who want a sonic clarion call to revolt. There’s a little funk to fuel the fire. There’s a bit of bop to propel the riot. Dorr’s alto sax-bass clarinet combo and Dave Ross’s guitar switch roles between match and flame. The bass and drums of Dmitry Ishenko and Joe Hertenstein coax the fire to greater heights and heat. There’s nothing about this album that isn’t cool. Blood exudes a presence that could level mountains.
Eyal Hareuveni - Salt Peanuts*
WELF DORR UNIT «Blood» CHANT RECORDS / CREATIVE SOURCES, CS508
Almost thirty years ago American guitarist James ‘Blood’ Ulmer coined the motto: Jazz is the Teacher, Funk in the Preacher (sung in his album «Are You Glad To Be In America?», Rough Trade, 1980). This motto inspired German, New York-based Welf Dorr to found in 2012 his own power group, the Welf Dorr Unit that would offer a like-minded urgent mix of funky-jazz with rock. The debut album of the Unit pays respect to Ulmer and is titled «Blood», recorded on June 2014, mastered two years later and released in its digital version by the newly founded New York label Chant Records and in its physical version by the Portuguese label Creative sources.
The Welf Dorr Unit features Dorr, who also plays in pianist Karl Berger’s Improvisers Orchestra and in drummer Kenny Wollesen’s Himalayas, on alto sax and bass clarinet, guitarist Dave Ross, bass player Dmitry Ishenko and drummer Joe Hertenstein. This Unit translates Ulmer experimental sonic vision of the early eighties through a tough, loud and muscular interplay, but without any attempt to attach any political implications to its work as Ulmer did.
Dorr is the obvious leader and has a warm, soulful tone, but choosing to follow Ulmer path obviously trigger unfavorable comparisons to the charismatic sax players David Murray and Oliver Lake who have played on Ulmer’s seminal album. The Unit finds its true calling when it dives deep into a heavy funky groove on the title-piece, «Two Down (One to Go)» or the ballad «Left Alone», leaving more space for the distinct voices of this quartet, especially the thorny, rhythmic work Ross and the massive drumming of Hertenstein.