Pianist and composer Ursel Schlicht is an improviser who has shared stages with Dominic Duval, Sandy Evans, Ken Filiano, Christina Fuchs, Ratzo Harris, Lenora Zenzalai Helm, John Hollenbeck, Carl Ludwig Hübsch, Kevin James, Tanya Kalmanovitch, Kyoko Kitamura, Balla Kouyate, Denman Maroney, Ravish Momin, "Butch" Morris, Reuben Radding, Tony Romano, Dr. Salamat Schiftah, Matthias Schubert and Steve Swell among many others.

Ursel Schlicht is a real gem. She is a bright woman and an eclectic musician with a broad knowledge about music (she actually holds a PhD in music). Her teaching skills are already enlightened through her passages by the University of Kassel and the University of Hamburg in Germany and in America with Rutgers University, and Columbia University. Schlicht now teaches at Ramapo College in New Jersey.

Schlicht's sound is splendid in her latest duo CD "Einstein's Dream." This album also features the famous Brooklyn bassist Reuben Radding, who has been featured on over 40 recordings on labels such as Leo Records, AUM Fidelity, Tzadik, Clean Feed and Knitting Factory Works. Radding has this music in his blood. He works on his gift and skills with several groups and he performs everywhere. During the past decade he has explored different facets of improvised music. Avant-garde music seems to fascinate him the most as this recent album here is total proof.

Radding is always sharing the stage with Matt Moran, Oscar Noriega, Nate Wooley, Andrew Drury, Matt Bauder, Jack Wright, Brian Allen, Daniel Carter and Carrie Shull. He has also performed with John Zorn, Marc Ribot, Elliott Sharp, Saadet Turkoz, Wally Shoup, John Oswald, Dave Douglas, Billy Martin, Scott Rosenberg, Anthony Coleman, Carlos Bechegas, Damon Smith and is also the owner of STATS music studio in Brooklyn.

His timbres have his signature. Radding is able to master the pizzicato attack all the way up through the legato passages. The first track, "Unexpected Vison," opens off with a perfect bass varied section followed by a dissonant piano, charged with almost outside jazz notes and a post-modern approach. Both stringed instruments can be heard in beautiful tandem as in "Time Passes More Slowly For People In Motion." On "Textures of Time", the bass flies alone to gather afterward unison statements with the wonderful chord dexterity of Ursul Schlicht.

"Modulation of Light" is a lovely piece fascinating with the string duos in which melodies are presented in alternating and overlapping arco and sustained accented fragments. The piece opens with a magnificent Radding solo reminding us of the genial influence of Mark Dresser, his first teacher. Radding's rhythms range from the improvisational to "far out" free-jazz. He shines all over the whole album.

Ursel Schlicht and Reuben Radding are both great composers, arrangers and improvisers. This duo promises to take lots of spotlights in the downtown scene. Their disc "Einstein’s Dream" is a great achievement!