Parsifal, ACT ***

Boundaries and definitions tend get a hammering from German double-bass colossus Dieter Ilg. A fixture on the German live scene, and a longtime associate of American saxophonist Charlie Mariano, Ilg is sure-footed in support of other players but capable of real lyricism as a lead instrument. With his own trio, featuring rising young German pianist Rainer Böhm and French drummer Patrice Heral, he has focused in recent years on bridging the gap between classical music – specifically opera – and improvised music. The trio's variations on themes from Verdi's Othello were widely praised in 2010, and now Ilg turns his attention to Wagner. Bass lines and melodic fragments from Parsifal form the basis for some liberated piano trio interplay, which is more elegiac and uplifting than the music's ultimate source might suggest. dieterilg.de