Christoph Irniger’s Quintet returns with a groundbreaking live album, Pilgrim: Human Intelligence Live, set for release on March 21, 2025, via Intakt Records. The album captures the quintet’s gorgeously intricate yet improvisationally free approach to jazz, recorded live at Red Horn District in Bad Meinberg, Germany, on November 29, 2023.
Led by Zurich-based tenor saxophonist Christoph Irniger, the quintet has become one of the most dynamic and innovative forces in contemporary European jazz. On Human Intelligence Live, Irniger and his bandmates—Stefan Aeby (piano), Dave Gisler (guitar), Raffaele Bossard (bass), and Michael Stulz (drums)—deliver an electrifying performance that blends spontaneous improvisation with meticulously composed moments.
About the Album
Pilgrim: Human Intelligence Live showcases the quintet’s unique ability to balance structure with freedom, with a blend of fully notated compositions and free improvisation. The music effortlessly shifts between reflective moods and wild, energetic outbursts. Irniger describes the album as a journey for listeners who enjoy taking their time to immerse themselves in evolving music. The album captures the quintet's chemistry, which can be heard in real time as the musicians make spontaneous decisions, take risks, and find their way together.
Irniger explains in the liner notes: “The music develops through stages of emotion—there are doubts, questions, resolutions. It's like living together in society, and how I’d wish it to be.”
The Quintet’s Evolution
Since its formation in 2010, Christoph Irniger’s Pilgrim has been a leader in European jazz, constantly evolving and incorporating influences from across the jazz world. The quintet’s sound is at once cohesive and imaginative, combining fluid improvisations with tight ensemble playing. The album’s tracks explore a wide range of moods and complexities, from the meditative to the intense, and everything in between.
Track Highlights
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Hendrix (5:31)
A slow-burning tribute to Jimi Hendrix, this track features a stellar guitar solo from Dave Gisler and combines simplicity with complexity, drawing inspiration from both Hendrix and Thelonious Monk. -
Calling the Spirits (14:27)
A deeply spiritual piece celebrating the power of music to unite communities. It was originally released on the studio album Ghost Cat and reflects Irniger's belief in the transformative power of music. -
Secret Level (3:38)
This track, originally released as a ghost track on Ghost Cat, explores the idea of a "secret level" in video games, but here, the level is easy to find but hard to escape from, creating a metaphor for life’s challenges. -
Human Intelligence (Interlude) (2:18)
A brief but powerful reflection piece, where the complexity of the music takes a step back, leaving space for thought and personal reflection. -
Seven Down Eight Up (13:06)
Inspired by Aikido principles, this track delves into the idea of resilience and overcoming obstacles, written during a time of personal recovery for Irniger. -
The Kraken (1:48)
A Wayne Shorter tribute piece that evokes the imagery of the legendary saxophonist's ability to embrace an entire concert hall with his presence and musical energy. -
Human Intelligence (6:14)
A full version of the interlude track, this piece represents the quintet’s collective ability to engage in mindful evolution and the growth that arises from reflection and resolution. -
Emergency Exit (12:25)
A complex suite built around the theme of finding one’s way out of difficult situations, symbolizing the different emotions one experiences during life’s challenges. -
Back In The Game (5:23)
Closing with a track from the first quintet album Italian Circus Story, this piece evokes the feeling of a film’s exit music, reflecting the cyclical nature of life and the confidence that things will come together.
Recording Details
Pilgrim: Human Intelligence Live was recorded live on November 29, 2023, at Red Horn District in Bad Meinberg, Germany. The album was mixed in September 2024 by Christoph Utzinger in Bern and mastered in November 2024 by Alex Huber in Zug. The album features artwork by Jamie Breiwick and graphic design by Paul Bieri, with liner notes by Kevin Le Gendre and photos by Markus Ecker.
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