There have been some discussions of late, as to the validity of European jazz. I think the discussions are silly. People were playing and hearing jazz in Europe before most of the current crop of known jazz musicians (from either hemishpere) were born.
Well, if you need more convincing that great jazz is being made in Europe, check out Travelling Hard by the Robert Bachner Quintet.
One of the first reviews I wrote for Scratch My Brain was of Bachner’s first CD. This follow up album features the same 5 musicians. The Vienna based quintet swings hard and plays with a conviction and honesty that I find very appealing. The liner notes menion that Bachner has studied with Conrad Herwig, and I hear that in his playing, but I find Bachner to be less careful and calculated sounding than Herwig, and that is meant as a compliment.
Travelling Hard flows nicely as an album and has been in my heavy rotation since the day it arrived in my mail box.