Bliss

The famous compliation "Magic Moments", curated by Siggi LochTracklist: 01 Elevation of Love // Album: e.s.t. 30 Magnus Öström, Dan Berglund, Magnus Lindgren, Joel Lyssarides, Verneri Pohjola, Ulf Wakenius 02 Second Nature // Album: Life Rhythm Wolfgang Haffner03 Raw // Album: raw Nils Landgren Funk Unit 04 The Answer // Album: The Answer Jakob Manz 05 Shots // Album: Bloom Bill Laurance 06 Das Handtuch // Album: Tough Stuff Iiro Rantala 07 She’ll Arrive Between 10 & 11 // Album: Guitar PoetryMikael Máni 08 Terrible Seeds // Album: While You Wait Little North 09 Se Telefonando // Album: Ennio Grégoire Maret, Romain Collin 10 Wonderland // Album: Wonderland Daniel García Trio 11 Fresu // Album: Inner Spirits Jan Lundgren, Yamandu Costa 12 Hands Off // Album: Stealing Moments Viktoria Tolstoy 13 Hidden Prelude // Album: What the Fugue Florian Willeitner 14 Pralin // Album: Let Them Cook Emile Parisien 15 My Brother Rolf // Album: Komeda Joachim Kühn 16 Passacaglia // Album: Passacaglia Adam Bałdych, Leszek Możdżer 17 Linden Tree Rag // Album: Rag Bag Bernd Lhotzky 18 Zafeirious Solo // Album: Arcs & Rivers Joel Lyssarides, Georgios Prokopiou

Joachim Kühn - Komeda - Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic XIVCD / digital Joachim Kühn piano Chris Jennings bass Eric Schaefer drums Atom String Quartet Dawid Lubowicz violin Mateusz Smoczyński violin, baritone violin Michał Zaborski  viola Krzysztof Lenczowski cello Krzysztof Komeda has legendary status in Polish jazz, and was also one of the pioneers of European jazz. His wider fame resides largely in his work as a film composer – he wrote the soundtracks for all of Roman Polanski’s early films, notably "Dance of the Vampires" and "Rosemary's Baby". Komeda died in 1969, tragically early, at the age of just 37, but left a hugely influential body of work. Joachim Kühn, now a jazz piano icon in his own right, is a great admirer of Komeda, whom he met in person in Warsaw in 1965. As part of the Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic concert series, curated by Siggi Loch, he performed a major tribute concert to him on 14 October 2022, at which he played in three formats: solo piano, with his New Trio, and alongside Poland’s Atom String Quartet. Komeda may not be particularly well-known outside Poland, but in his native country his renown is at a similar level to Chopin’s. He is seen as an integral part of the rise of Polish jazz from its first underground stirrings to becoming one of the beacons of Polish culture. This was a movement forged by composers whose work went most of the way to being seen as a new kind of national music. Komeda’s influence extended beyond his native country in that he became a key figure in the emancipation of European jazz from the American tradition. At the same time as Lars Gullin and Jan Johansson in Sweden were taking similar approaches, Komeda fused Polish folk music and its tradition of melismatic singing with the characteristics of jazz. He thus became one of the great lyrical and melodic voices of mid-twentieth century music. His early death in an accident made him a cult figure in his native country. In his latter years, Komeda concentrated mainly on film music; Roman Polanski brought him to Hollywood in 1967. A highlight of his jazz work was undoubtedly the album "Astigmatic", recorded in 1965 in one single overnight session with the trumpeter Tomasz Stanko, among others. To this day, it regularly receives the accolade of being the most important jazz recording in Poland; the magazine Jazzwise listed it as one of their "jazz albums that shook the world." For a tribute to Komeda, there could be no better guide than Joachim Kühn, the German pianist and jazz icon. The two men knew each other, indeed Kühn was in the studio and listened to the "Astigmatic" recording session in December 1965. The previous day, Komeda and Kühn had both played with their bands at the Warsaw Philharmonic: "For me, he was one of the great visionaries of European jazz, even then," Kühn recalls. Komeda's compositions have been part of the repertoire of the equally visionary Joachim Kühn ever since. Kühn leads the very small cohort of German jazz musicians who have achieved a genuinely international profile – something which has been the case for almost 60 years. The Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic concert begins with the three tracks of the legendary album "Astigmatic": the title track plus "Kattorna" and "Svantetic". The line-up for this celebration evening is phenomenal with Kühn as very much the first among equals. He plays as part of his "New Trio" with Eric Schaefer on drums and Chris Jennings on bass, and also with the Atom String Quartet, whom Jazzwise called a "world class quartet” with a “forceful mix of classical and jazz improvisation": violinists Dawid Lubowicz and Mateusz Smoczyński, Michał Zaborski on viola and cellist Krzysztof Lenczowski. The seven extraordinarily fine musicians on stage create a heady mix from Komeda’s era-defining work: compelling free improvisations and superb soloing alternate with Komeda’s powerful melodies. The composer always thinks pictorially, but here we are treated to individual music-making at the highest level, and yet with an astonishing sixth sense of anticipation. The results are compelling, modern and timelessly beautiful. Next follow a series of single arrangements from Komeda's other works, and these also draw the listener in with their seemingly perfect dramaturgy: Kühn's plays a quasi- romantic, wonderfully gentle solo on "After the Catastrophe"; next we hear his emotionally affecting duo with Mateusz Smoczyński on "Moja Ballada" from 1961; then, the Atom String Quartet version of "Crazy Girl" from Komeda's soundtrack to Polanski's "Knife in the Water"; thereafter comes a stunningly good trio arrangement of the well-known lullaby "Sleep Safe and Warm" from "Rosemary's Baby". After that, all the musicians re-assemble for an energetic finale, "Roman II". Several things are coming full circle here, not just musically but also in terms of Komeda’s and Kühn’s personal histories. What they have in common - almost tangibly so - is that jazz was quite literally the window which gave them their freedom. For a time, Krzysztof Trzciński (his real birth-name) was able to hide his musical identity behind his profession as an ear, nose and throat doctor, using the pseudonym Komeda for his music. But there came a point when the Polish state could no longer keep his popularity under wraps. Joachim Kühn’s story, on the other hand, is that he escaped from the paternalism of the GDR regime at the age of 22 when he fled to the West. Joachim’s brother Rolf gave him some initial help to establish his international career, and that led Joachim to work in the USA, France and Spain, but, most importantly, it was the escape through music which gave him his artistic freedom. Another, very personal circle closes at the end of the “Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic” Komeda concert. Joachim Kühn plays as an encore "My Brother Rolf" in memory of his brother who had died shortly before. Credits: Recorded live in concert by Thomas Schöttl at Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic, Kammermusiksaal, October 14, 2022 Mixed and mastered by Klaus Scheuermann Produced by Joachim Kühn Curated by Siggi Loch Cover art by Shoshu

Michael Wollny Trio - GhostsCD / Vinyl / digital Michael Wollny piano Tim Lefebvre bass Eric Schaefer drums “All the songs are living ghosts and long for a living voice“ Brendan Kennelly "As an improviser, you often find that it‘s not the compositions themselves you‘re playing, but your own memories of them. And as these memories come back to you in the moment, they assert their continuing existence in the here and now," says pianist/composer Michael Wollny. In other words, songs are like ghosts. Wollny‘s new album "Ghosts" is a gathering of some of the ghosts that regularly haunt him. Typically for Wollny, they range from classics like Franz Schubert's "Erlkönig" to jazz standards, film music, songs with a certain fragility by Nick Cave, say, or the band Timber Timbre, and also include his own darkly evocative original compositions. In addition to Michael Wollny‘s leanings towards scary fantasy, the idea of "hauntology" is an important one for him. This term, which has been a looming presence in debates about pop music for some time, awakens memories of a distant past: forgotten, ghostly and spectral sounds. Wollny: "This perspective, these sounds and not least the term itself have preoccupied me in the past few months – and those reflections have led to the idea of producing a piano trio album dealing with the subject." A ghost album, then, that ventures into the depths of conscious and unconscious memory, sifts through stories originating in the past and which cast shadows on the present. This is a story of the friendly ghosts which surround us...but also of some evil spirits which we thought would never return. The line-up to be heard on "Ghosts" is a direct follow-up from "Weltentraum", an album which now clearly stands as a cornerstone in Wollny's discography, since it established his reputation as an artist "who can turn every conceivable piece of music into an experience to take your breath away" (Die Zeit). American bassist Tim Lefebvre‘s very particular sound and vibe are to be heard on albums by David Bowie, Wayne Krantz and Elvis Costello. Wollny‘s most recent adventure alongside him was the internationally acclaimed project "XXXX". Wollny says: "When you work with Tim, you're not just working with one of the world's top bass players - Tim always has a foot in the world of sound processing, and is constantly expanding his electronic tool-kit. In addition to that, he creates phenomenal clarity in music and in overall sound, which has an unbelievable effect: it gives a shape and an organisation to the music without ever restricting you." Wollny has been playing with drummer Eric Schaefer for almost 20 years. Like Lefebvre, he is also a complete original, a musician with an almost orchestral approach to sound, an unmistakable sense of groove and impressive individuality. "The three of us are aligned in a special , inexplicable way. It‘s hard to describe but the effect is massive," says Wollny. "Last but not least, we are connected by the long time we have spent together. As a trio we have a specific sound, and we are now developing that in a wholly new direction." On "Ghosts", the trio has created a sound in the specific tradition of "Southern Gothic": deep, earthy, full of vibrating, rattling low-tuned strings and drumheads, evoking memories of clapped-out guitar amps, distorted cones of speakers cones. The atmosphere here is oppressively hot, the air heavy with dust. Before "Ghosts" was actually recorded, another trio - Michael Wollny and the two co-producers Andreas Brandis and Guy Sternberg- convened. Brandis, who had already been heavily involved in the concept of "XXXX", brought to the table the concept of an album of songs, with the right people involved. Sternberg - he, as sound engineer, and Wollny had created the sound world of "Wunderkammer", which was to serve as the point of departure for this new album. Wollny says: "Even before the setlist for the album was fixed, I had a very clear sound in mind, which we discussed extensively with Guy and Andreas beforehand." The trio inhabits an acoustic space where nothing is superfluous or goes to waste: the long-dying resonance from a cymbal, drum or plucked string, or a sound from a reverberant surface, all are somehow there in the air. And sometimes all that remains is an acoustic or an electronic echo, a sound that hovers and acquires its own mysterious and spectral existence. All the tracks on the album have one thing in common: each is a snapshot in the life of an individual song. Wollny: "Especially in jazz, there is never one definitive version of a piece. The standards repertoire always haunts you in the best sense of the word, these songs are never finished, they always resurface." And so, when it comes to classics such as "I Loves You Porgy" and "In a Sentimental Mood", Wollny, Lefebvre and Schaefer‘s primary point of reference is not the original compositions, but versions by Nina Simone and John Coltrane / Duke Ellington. And from a time before jazz standards, there are the spirits that inhabit folk songs and which reappear whenever these songs are sung. As, for example, in the traditional Irish folk song "She Moved Through the Fair", which is almost a prototype for the idea that ghost stories are to a large extent also love stories. As is also the case for "Willow's Song" - a seductive and dangerous love song from the legendary soundtrack for the cinema thriller "Wicker Man", a classic of the Nordic horror genre, as strange as it is frightening. Also related to "grand guignol" and nature: a startlingly vivid arrangement of Franz Schubert's "Erlkönig". In addition, in reference to the sultry "Southern Gothic": "Hand of God" by Nick Cave & Warren Ellis, audibly dedicated to Wollny's great mentor, whom he describes as the "Hand of God", Joachim Kühn. And furthermore, "Beat the drum slowly" by the band Timber Timbre, a perennial favourite of Wollny's, and "Ghosts" by David Sylvian - perhaps the clearest representation of the themes that characterise "Ghosts": here we find that melodies and sounds can haunt memories that stay either hidden or repressed, and in a way that is at the same time seductive, touching, mysterious and profound. Two original compositions by Wollny find their place naturally in this cleverly selected programme, which is as heterogeneous as it is coherent: first is Wollny's eponymous contribution to "Hauntology", for him "a ‘song without words‘ which comes from another, past or strange, parallel pop world" and then "Monsters never breathe" with its melody that stretches into infinity and could only ever be sung if it were possible to sing without needing to pause for breath. "All the songs are living ghosts and long for a living voice" wrote the Irish poet Brendan Kennelly (1936 - 2021) in one of his most famous poems. For Michael Wollny, this line is a cryptic and yet profound insight. It adds an eerie beauty and serves as a motto for his fascination for the magic of songs which this recording represents. When we talk about ghosts, we look into what seems to be the past, and bring back memories from it into our lives. We as listeners can all believe in the "Ghosts" that the Michael Wollny Trio hear. Because we can all hear them and recognise them.Credits: Recorded by Guy Sternberg at Clouds Hill Studio Hamburg, June 17 & 18, 2022 Assistant: Sebastian Muxfeldt Mixed and sound design by Guy Sternberg Additional sound processing & synths by Tim Lefebvre Mastered by Darius van Helfteren Produced by Michael Wollny Co-producers: Guy Sternberg and Andreas Brandis

Joachim Kühn - Love & PeaceCD / digital Joachim Kühn piano Chris Jennings bass Eric Schaefer drums “The wisdom of old age meets the tempestuousness of youth” wrote Der Spiegel, describing the meeting of generations in Joachim Kühn’s trio with Chris Jennings and Eric Schaefer - both are around 30 years younger than he is. And it is also an apt way to describe how both tendencies co-exist in the 73-year old jazz pioneer’s own playing. His gaze is directed to the future, he has the history of jazz behind him, and he never kow-tows to convention. This piano genius loves freedom and fantasy, driven by the imperative to keep discovering the new. If the Joachim Kühn New Trio is his most recent adventure story, then “Love & Peace” is its second chapter.“I have found a new dream team, and they inspire me in a completely new way,” he says of this ensemble which formed in 2015. It signalled his return to the classic piano trio, in the wake of a thirty year association with Jean-Francois Jenny-Clark and Daniel Humair. “A new trio, a new Joachim Kühn” was how NDR praised the group’s debut CD “Beauty & Truth” which appeared in March 2016. Jazzthing magazine considered that the “most consistently innovative and the freeest piano player in Germany”, had “added another exciting, and above all unexpected chapter to his biography and his discography.” And to cap it all, the Joachim Kühn New Trio was awarded the best German Ensemble prize at the 2017 ECHO Jazz Awards.“At my age,” says Kühn, “you have to do more playing than you used to, to make sure you don’t get rusty.” That is a testament to the sheer determination which has made him the most significant and internationally successful pianist of his generation in Germany. On “Love & Peace” he is on top form: once again it's about “strong melodies that you can give a shape to,” as Kühn puts it. He’s a master of both free jazz and fusion but with a new game-changing approach: “I wanted melodic simplicity, an album with short concise pieces”.It is almost inevitable that the songs should deal with two things that the world simply, urgently needs more of: love and peace. “I didn’t choose this repertoire in a hurry, but rather in a very considered way. But I also I did let chance play its role.” That's how the short, almost ebullient melody of “Barcelona - Wien” came into being during a flight between those two cities. The image of agile horses was one which spontaneously occurred to him in the skittish, yet elegant theme of “Mustang”. With “The Crystal Ship”, Kühn has again taken a track by the Doors, the band which more than any other is synonymous with his generation of 1968, and the peace movement in an era overshadowed by the Vietnam War. Classical music is also represented, with a luxuriant and grooving version of Modest Mussorgski's “Le Vieux Chateau” from “Pictures from an Exhibition”. A piece (“Night Plans”) from his unique and formative collaboration with Ornette Coleman undergoes an almost tender, new reappraisal by the trio, as does the turbulent Kühn classic “Phrasen”.Kühn asked his two partners for one composition each: Chris Jennings has contributed the swinging, almost folk-song-like “Casbah Radio”, while Eric Schaefer has penned the elegiac “Lied ohne Worte No. 2”, which perhaps reminds one most of the “old” Joachim Kühn. Schaefer's dynamism, spontaneity and spirituality make him an ideal companion for Kühn. "I had invited him to Ibiza and we played together for three days. But I knew after just ten minutes that I wanted to work with him,” Kühn recalls. “I've had a similar experience with Chris Jennings, a fantastic bass player with great capacity for empathy.” “Only if you live freely can you really improvise freely,” says Kühn. For several years he has been putting everything in place to ensure his own personal and creative freedom at his finca on Ibiza . With “Love & Peace” his New Trio has once again succeeded in breaking into new territory. Joachim Kühn’s potent creative will, unbridled love for music and inner peace reside at the heart of this album. Credits: Produced by Joachim Kühn Recorded by Gérard de Haro at Studios La Buissonne, France. May 15 & 16, 2017 Assisted by Anaëlle Marsollier & Bastien Raute Mixed by Gérard de Haro. Mastered by Klaus Scheuermann Steinway D tuned and prepared by Alain Massonneau Arrangements by Joachim Kühn Cover art by Mary Heilmann, Mojave Mirage, 2012 by courtesy of the artist, 303 Gallery, New York, Hauser

Various Artists - The Jubilee ConcertsCD / digital Various Artists “We fly like birds of a feather,” runs the Sister Sledge lyric. And so the musicians did – thirty-four of them flocked to the Konzerthaus in Berlin, from several countries of Europe, each of them an artist who has found a nurturing home for his or her projects and talents on the ACT label. It was their way of expressing gratitude, and of giving their label a 25th birthday present. The musicians appeared on stage in a whole variety of combinations throughout the day, some of the bands formed for these concerts having never been put together before. It was in every sense a special occasion: a day of very fine concerts, a joyous celebration of the passing of an important milestone - the date marked exactly twenty-five years and one day since the ACT label put out its very first release in 1992 - and a happy gathering for the label-as-family. What this unique event brought to the fore was that precious common spirit and attitude among these musicians: an openness and respect for the individual and very different talents of the others, the courage to take risks, and an ever-present willingness to welcome in the unexpected and to discover the new. The musicians are also from several different generations, all bringing their combined energies to the event. For example, saxophonist Emile Parisien and pianist Joachim Kühn were born nearly forty years apart, and yet their mutual understanding, their common way of making music and generating excitement makes a detail like that an irrelevance. There were two other trans-national duos on the album. Whereas saxophonist Parisien and Kühn brought high-voltage excitement, and received a loud ovation, the two double basses of Lars Danielsson and Dieter Ilg channelled very different emotions. Two bassists playing together tends to be a recipe for pure joy, good humour, bonhomie and mischief, and that was exactly what these two master musicians offered. The third duo of Nils Landgren and Michael Wollny brought warmth, affection, and wistful poetry and beauty to Sondheim’s “Send in the Clowns,” which opens the album. These three intimate conversations were just part of the story of an unforgettable day. A quartet feature was led by violinist Adam Bałdych, whose ski-ing accident just a few days before had not deterred him from attending this joyous gathering - he was supported by crutches to get on and off the stage. Then there was a special one-off formation of Nils Landgren’s Funk Unit in “Walk Tall”, the band propelled by Wolfgang Haffner’s crisp, in-the-pocket drumming. One of the features of the ACT label is that founder Siggi Loch is a natural connector and helps the formation of new bands. A quintet around Nguyên Lê and the quartet led by Adam Bałdych were created especially for the evening. Lars Danielsson’s “Suffering” has as its first soloists two ACT cornerstone artists who have helped to define the many-sided identity of the label: Nguyên Lê and Nils Landgren. Another more established quartet which ACT has helped into existence is the supergroup of Andreas Schaerer, Emile Parisien, Vincent Peirani, and Michael Wollny. “B&H” shows these four stars of European jazz, all of a similar age, keeping each other and the audience on their toes. A celebration like this could run the risk of drifting into memory and nostalgia – this one didn’t. ACT has issued over 500 albums, so there is much to look back on with pride…but one moment found an inspired way to look to the future as well. The listener might wonder who the drummer and guitarist are, playing with such ease, flow and total assurance on “Dodge The Dodo.” They are Noa and Ruben Svensson, sons of the much-missed Esbjörn. The culmination of the day of celebration in Berlin was a Gala Concert by the “ACT Family Band.” The evening built naturally to a whole-band, whole-family finale in which the combined ensemble, led by Ida Sand, launched into “We Are Family”. As an expression of togetherness, of a shared joyful ethos it would be hard to beat. These Jubilee Concerts made it possible to experience at close quarters what ACT exists to achieve: it is a leading label where listeners can discover newly created music “in the Sprit of jazz.” The label’s range and its previously unimagined connections are a constant source of surprise from which it draws ever-new inspiration to connect the unexpected. Mike Flynn, Editor of Jazzwise wrote in his review of the concert that the ACT label has “a smile on its face and a swagger in its step”. And where might the best evidence for that statement be found? It’s all there on this album.Credits: Live at Konzerthaus Berlin, April 2, 2017 Recorded, mixed and mastered by Klaus Scheuermann Curated by Siggi Loch An ACT Music concert production in cooperation with Konzerthaus Berlin

Eric Schaefer - Kyoto mon AmourCD / Vinyl / digital Kazutoki Umezu clarinet & bass clarinet Naoko Kikuchi koto John Eckhardt bass Eric Schaefer drums From Kyoto with love Eric Schaefer has been described as the “central shining star of the German jazz scene” by the prestigious weekly Die Zeit, while the Munich broadsheet Süddeutsche Zeitung has referred to the “wide-ranging inspiration that he brings to the jazz world.” In “Kyoto Mon Amour” the drummer/composer takes on the challenge of building bridges between Japanese and western music. “The music, philosophy, religion and culture of Asia have fascinated me for a long time”, Schaefer explains. During the past fourteen years he has made three visits to Korea, and stayed in Japan no fewer than six times. “I find myself longing for Asia, it has left its mark on my life.” Schaefer practices Zen, that “pathless path” of observing one's own nature in meditation. “Zen-Practice has changed my whole life. The way one handles nature, other people – and music – just becomes more discerning and sensitive.” The album “Kyoto mon Amour” bears witness to this. The foundations for this project were laid in 2012 when Schaefer spent three months studying in Japan’s old Imperial capital city, Kyoto. He researched Kabuki and Nō theatre, listened to the ancient Gagaku imperial court music, became familiar with traditional musical instruments such as the shakuhachi (flute), shamisen and biwa (lutes), visited the temples and walked in the surrounding mountains such as Hiei-Zan with its evocative red maple leaves. He made notes of his impressions – some ideas of sounds and compositional sketches. These experiences were deepened further by meetings, for example with the Shodo (calligraphy) artist Shoshu. His art is a thoroughly appropriate adornment for the album. “That theme just wouldn’t leave me alone”, reflects Schaefer. All that remained for Schaefer to do was to bring in the right companions….. The story of how he found them can best be explained in his own words: “When I heard Kazutoki Umezu playing in a radio broadcast, I knew that this was the sound I had been after for “Kyoto mon amour”: soft, as flexible as bamboo and yet penetratingly clear. I absolutely wanted Naoko Kikuchi on the album as well, because she has such a deep grounding in the tradition of Japanese koto; she also moved to Germany eight years ago to play European contemporary classical music with Ensemble Modern. John Eckhardt is also at home in New Music, I already play alongside him in my band The Shredz. Through the earthiness and the variety of tonal colour in his playing, elements from chamber music, Japanese folklore and jazz all coalesce. The exciting thing about this band is the musical openness, and the fascination of how different the other culture is. " The music of “Kyoto mon Amour” is improvised in both the Japanese and the European way – and what emerges is something completely new. It is analogous to what happens when everything is pared back to basics in the calligraphy of “Shoshu-san”: in the music all the tone-colours and rhythms are subservient to the beauty of the melody. On the 400-year old tune “Rokudan” it is composer Yatsuhashi Kengyō whose spirit reigns. The flow of sound from the koto has a clarinet melody as counterpoint. It then gradually and slowly becomes imbued by Schaefer and Eckhardt with more dynamic intensity and swing. One of the pivotal pieces on the album is the slowly evolving “Santoka’s Walk” which allows itself to stray off on all sorts of subsidiary paths. It is inspired by an epigram from the Zen monk Santoka Taneda: “On travels touching this and that, recording the mind´s changing impressions.“ Schaefer has made this idea into the leitmotif which runs right through the CD. This album bringing together the West and the Far East does not only have reflective and lyrical tracks. On “Ticket To Osaka,” for example, Schaefer captures the commotion and bustle of the big city. On “Kansai Two-Face”, a nostalgic melody on the koto encounters an urgent and effervescent improvisation from the clarinet which is spurred on by the rhythm players. That very brief moment encompasses the contradictions of present-day Japan, it brings together opulence and simplicity, modernity and tradition in a confined space. At first sight, the final track, Ravel’s “Pavane de la Belle au bois dormant” from "Mother Goose" might seem a surprise, but there is a context: around 1900 the French impressionists in both art and music fell under the spell of “japonisme,” and their enthusiasm gave rise to work of enduring quality. Eric Schaefer’s quartet has found fascinating ways to carry this lineage forward into our time. Credits: Produced by Siggi Loch with the artist Recorded by Klaus Scheuermann at Hansa Studios, Berlin, Nov 30 - Dec 1, 2016 Assistant engineer: Nanni Johansson Mixed and mastered by Klaus Scheuermann Cover art by Shoshu, calligraphy (2016)

Various Artists - Fahrt ins Blaue Nguyên Lê &Paolo Fresu, Lars Danielsson feat. Jan Bang, Wolfgang Haffner, Bugge Wesseltoft, Jacob Karlzon 3, e.s.t. Esbjörn Svensson Trio, Cæcilie Norby, Oddjob, Frank Woeste, Viktoria Tolstoy feat. Nils Landgren, Ida Sand feat. Jan Lundgren, Nils Landgren Funk Unit, McJazz [directed by Annette Humpe & Anselm Kluge], Roberto Di Gioia's Marsmobil feat. Johannes Enders, Tonbruket, Michael Wollny Trio On Fahrt ins Blaue, atmospheric soundscapes pass by: organic, dynamic, virtuosic, and smooth. The compilation floats effortlessly between electronic textures and acoustic jazz. The journey begins. Time seems to stand still at first: A breeze from Sardinia drifts through a mysterious Asian world (“Lacrima Christi”). The sound cosmos of trumpeter Paolo Fresu and guitarist Nguyên Lê is hypnotic and directionless. A groove sets in — a simple piano melody floats on the surface (“Ironside”): chill-out jazz with blue notes by the master of atmosphere, Lars Danielsson. The Fahrt ins Blaue continues with “Germany’s coolest drummer” (ARD ttt), Wolfgang Haffner, and his drum & bass-inspired ambient jazz (“Shapes”). Pianist and sound tinkerer Bugge Wesseltoft offers insight into his “New Conception of Jazz” (“Existence”). Things become weightless with Jacob Karlzon’s electro-acoustic piano trio jazz (“Bubbles”). The Esbjörn Svensson Trio takes us on a summery, joyful joyride with their virtuoso fun-hit “Spam-Boo-Limbo.” Things take a quirky turn when Clint Eastwood rides across the soundscape in “Ecstasy of Gold”, from the Western classic The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, in a jazzed-up version by Swedish jazz cowboys Oddjob. That feeling of cool summer rain on your skin is evoked by Ida Sand with her haunting cover of the Eurythmics’ “Here Comes The Rain Again.” And Nils Landgren’s Funk Unit meets us with a funked-out, laid-back take on an ABBA classic (“Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!”). We make a relaxed stop with Annette Humpe’s McJazz. With charm and a wink, she serves up “Coffee & Tea.” Nu jazz, minimal electro, and lounge pop intertwine in a unique blend crafted by keyboardist and multi-instrumentalist Roberto Di Gioia. On “Yelloworange,” he’s joined by saxophonist Johannes Enders. In a moving and elegiac homage, Dan Berglund’s Tonbruket remembers the late Esbjörn Svensson — the shining star of European jazz who passed away in 2008 — with “Song For E,” before the Fahrt ins Blaue ends with the Michael Wollny Trio: “Questions In A World Of Blue.”Credits:Compilation produced by Marco Ostrowski Mastered by Klaus Scheuermann

Joachim Kühn Trio - Beauty & TruthCD / digital Joachim Kühn piano Chris Jennings bass Eric Schaefer drums The Permanently Youthful Old Master Joachim Kühn is a German pianist of world class, and a stand-alone figure in European jazz. He shows absolutely no signs either of slackening or of surrendering to his age - he is in his early seventies. Kühn's musical curiosity is as boundless as it always was, and his urge to keep creating new music is undimmed. It seems as if for him to stand still would be to go backwards. He lives in a finca in a remote part of Ibiza, overlooking the Mediterranean, where he is to be found either at the piano – he plays for hours every day - or dipping into his vast library of music. He has over 1,500 CDs, ranging from old recordings to up-to-the-minute releases. For “Beauty & Truth” he and producer Siggi Loch have made a selection of new and old pieces, reaching out into unfamiliar repertoire, and recorded them with the new trio. “These are strong melodies which can be given a really distinctive shape, like for example “Blues For Pablo” by Gil Evans” he explains. “The secret of that piece lies in just five notes, but they are the key to unlock a whole musical cosmos.” There are also pieces which in their different ways are of personal significance to him. “Kattorna” by Krzysztof Komeda is a case in point: “I was present at the recording sessions for the album “Astigmatic” in Warsaw in 1965. The memory of having heard this piece just popped up in my head. Komeda and I met at that time in Warsaw. Both of us were playing with our bands at the famous 'Jazz Jamboree' in the National Philharmonic Hall. He explained to me his recording plans for the following day. I was curious, and he invited me to listen in. For me, Komeda was even at that time one of the great visionaries of European jazz.” Kühn's original compositions on “Beauty & Truth” captivate the listener with catchy melodies with the character of earworms, which serve as jumping-off points for his improvising adventures. There is “Because Of Mouloud”, which has become something of a Joachim Kühn hit. There is also “Transmitting”, a spacious tune which hovers, trance-like. “Machineria” is a punchy virtuosi Etude - fugal, up-tempo, in which the pianist's left and right hands become enmeshed. This album also presents Kühn as an interpreter of the music of The Doors. A reggae-dub track by Stand High Patrol, which Eric Schaefer brought to the studio, is also part of the trio's repertoire. Kühn, it is clear, would not be Kühn (his surname in German, incidentally, means bold or brave) if he wasn't adding something original and personal to existing templates. By re-harmonising or re-casting the rhythm and the meter of a tune, he transforms it, with complete assurance, in to a Kühn original. A good example is “Sleep Safe And Warm,” the familiar melody from Roman Polanski's film “Rosemary's Baby”, which is first played straight, and is then cloaked in completely new harmonies. It was inevitable that Ornette Coleman, who died in June 2015, and played exclusively with Kühn from 1996 to 2000, would also figure prominently. The title track “Beauty And Truth” is a miniature for solo piano. It serves as a prologue to the album, both setting its tone and defining its concept, which is to get straight to the essence of what each composition is about, to discover its intrinsic truth, and to elicit the authentic beauty from it. It can quite clearly be heard quite how much this new trio has energized Kühn and spurred him on. The bass of Chris Jenkins is stentorian and self-assured, yet stoical. It underpins and anchors the band. Drummer Eric Schaefer brings the same multiple virtues to this different context that make him such a success as a stalwart of the Michael Wollny Trio: his exceptional taste and judgement, his power and richness of invention, and a beautifully attuned and instinctive balance between refinement and earthiness. “For the past ten years,” says Kühn, “in the trio with Majid Bekkas und Ramon López, I was looking for an African-influenced sound. Now I am coming back after several years to the classic piano trio. The trio with Jean-François Jenny-Clark and Daniel Humair was in existence for 30 years. That really was the trio of a lifetime. The depth and the intensity we found were incredible. In Eric and Chris I have found a new dream team. It is very inspiring to play with them, and to do very different things.” In the twelve pieces on “Beauty & Truth” a different Joachim Kühn can be heard: his piano-playing is powerful and clear, and musically he has a way of going straight to the heart of the matter. He is always solidly grounded in the groove, he plays with unconfined joy and with buckets of soul too. As he always did.Credits: Recorded by Adrian von Ripka at Bauer Studios, Ludwigsburg, July 7 & 8, 2015 Mixed and mastered by Adrian von Ripka Produced by Joachim Kühn Executive Producer: Siggi Loch

Eric Schaefer & The Shredz - BlissCD / digital Eric Schaefer drums, modular synthesizer (08) John-Dennis Renken trumpet Volker Meitz keyboards John Eckhardt bass On “Bliss”, Eric Schaefer and his band The Shredz blend the fusion jazz of the sixties with the jazz dub of the nineties and the club music of today to concoct an explosive hubble-bubble of a magic brew. Although it sometimes sounds like it, it’s not Voodoo, It is merely the logical continuation of what made Schaefer’s playing so unique from the outset: style and good taste, skills and know-how, complex compositions and improvisatory passion. Rooted in hardcore and matured in jazz, Schaefer plays a range that goes way beyond the scope of any academic colloquium. In 2013, to coincide with the 200th anniversary of Richard Wagner’s birth, Schaefer brought out his ACT debut as band leader in the form of “Who’s afraid of Richard W.?”. Without trepidation he gnawed Wagner’s music down to its skeleton, to then toss the bones into new constellations. Two years later, he has called the same, proven musicians together - only the trumpeter has changed - to complete the next stage of the evolution with “Bliss”. With John-Dennis Renken’s soaring trumpet tones and Volker Meitz’s gurgling organ sounds, The Shredz invoke the spirit of the electric Miles Davis sessions. Schaefer and bassist John Eckhardt switch back and forth between feverish Bitches Brew Groove, Laswellian Dub fusions and pulsating club sounds. “We wanted to go on a trip together, achieve a kind of trance state,” says Schaefer of the recording process. “And you can’t get there without factors like repetition and groove.” On this journey the tracks often formed themselves out of unplanned moments that arose when jamming together. But fans of Schaefer’s compositions also get their money’s worth. In “Barber”, for instance, when a trumpet elegy underpinned by strings stumbles through various different groove states, to then ultimately turn off onto an ambient final stretch of the spheres driven by a kind of live Roots Manuva Riddim. “After all the Shredz concerts, we just celebrated our joy of jamming and improvising for the recording.” For the band’s sound, the collective interweaving is more important than the individual expression in the solos. In this way, the band is the theme on “Bliss”.Credits: Produced by Eric Schaefer Recorded and mixed by Volker Meitz at Nordkreuz-Studio, Berlin, Dec. 3 - 4, 2014 Mastered by Uwe Haas

Michael Wollny's jazz nocturnes: Mysterious, lyrical, magical piano mastery. A pure jazz experience that captivates and amazes. "A European jazz phenomenon."

"Wollny is a highly sensitive, deep-thinking, light-handed improvising musician, whose ideas spring forth from his mind so suddenly that one struggles to digest them. Where does this man get his inspirations from? [...] Wollny is a genius, and a likable one at that." (Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Dr. Wolfgang Sandner)

The successful album of the year 2014: Best Jazz Album 2014: #1 Jazzwise Critic`s Poll "A masterpiece" (ZDF Heute Journal) "A new star" (Süddeutsche Zeitung) German jazz Award Gold & Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik

Off the hill and into the club: with infusions of prog rock and new wave to ambient and dub, the old master, Richard Wagner, is revived.

The album by "Germany's strongest (jazz) musical personality since Albert Mangelssdorff" (Hamburger Abendblatt): In all the crevices where convention doesn't want them, Michael Wollny's [em] explores new music. An adventure full of ingenuity, power and virtuosity.

"The crashingly vital, interactive music of this group has arrived at the top of the world's most overpopulated jazz line-up at the moment." (U. Olshausen, FAZ) "... arguably the best jazz album of the last 25 years." (Stuart Nicholson, Jazzwise UK)

"A stroke of luck for modern jazz" - SÜDWESTPRESSE CD of the Month: PIANO NEWS and CHOC JAZZMAN (FR)

The ultimate compilation "celebrates highlights from 15 years of high-quality label history from ACT." AUDIOPHILE HIGHLIGHT - STEREO

The new ACT sampler, "Visions of Jazz," offers 15 compelling reasons to connect jazz with more than just sounds.

"Fast-paced and original, a new European jazz emerges here that doesn't rely too much on either domestic or US traditions, which makes it incredibly exciting." - STEREOPLAY

"Perhaps a groundbreaking project" - (SÜDDEUTSCHE ZEITUNG)

Michael Wollny, Eva Kruse, and Eric Schaefer redefine German jazz with a mix of tension, humor, and exceptional artistry.