The third installment in Noertker’s epic Sketches of Catalonia, Suite for Gaudí takes us on a sonic tour of the strange and wondrous world of Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí. From the jaunty “Feathers in a Cap,” to the wistful and austere “La Pedrera,” from the hallucinatory soundscapes of “Toadstool Mosaic,” to the ethereal mysticism of “Parable,” Noertker’s Moxie constructs a surreal aural portrait of this genius of Catalan architecture.
In the last decade, Bill Noertker has composed over 150 original pieces of music for jazz ensemble. His compositions point to the continuity between the jazz tradition and the avant-garde. His use of group improvisation and his attention to the individual voices of each of his bandmates call forth the human element so sorely missing from much of today’s jazz.