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Julian & Roman Wasserfuhr - Landed in Brooklyn

CD / Vinyl / digital

Julian Wasserfuhr trumpet & flugelhorn 
Roman Wasserfuhr piano, marimba, seaboard 
Donny McCaslin tenor saxophone 
Tim Lefebvre electric & double bass 
Nate Wood drums

 
For their 5th album, German trumpeter Julian and pianist Roman Wasserfuhr are in Brooklyn. If Brooklyn were not one of the five boroughs of New York City, its 2.6 million inhabitants would make it the 4th largest city in the United States. And the secret is out: Manhattan may have the establishment institutions like Lincoln Center or the Village Vanguard, but the real action is in Brooklyn, with an abundance of creativity being generated by musicians from the Wasserfuhr brothers’ generation, working in apartments, lofts, bars, clubs and studios. The rise of the Wasserfuhrs has been meteoric, and “Landed in Brooklyn“ documents another important stage of it. The brothers first came to the attention of producer Siggi Loch when they were 17 and 20 years old, joining the roster of ACT’s “Young German Jazz” series. Their “stunning debut album” (Süddeutsche Zeitung) “Remember Chet” was released in 2006, already showing a distinctive and original sound. “Upgraded in Gothenburg” was released in 2009, with Scandinavian greats Nils Landgren, Lars Danielsson und Magnus Lindgren. “Gravity” from 2011 had a quartet involving Wolfgang Haffner and Lars Danielsson, and told a story of how gravity is defied and overcome. By the time they made “Running” in 2013, the brothers were setting their own pace and direction, composing, recording and producing it themselves. Julian Wasserfuhr explains the origins of “Landed in Brooklyn: “Siggi Loch called us up last year, and asked if we were interested in making another album for the ACT label. Naturally we agreed – but we admitted that we hadn‘t really given it much thought.” So the idea emerged that the magic of the city of New York, as a force to propel and lift them, should became the concept behind the album. The established musicians they would then meet at the legendary System Two Recording Studios would act as their fountainheads of inspiration. First and foremost among those inspirers is saxophonist Donny McCaslin, the lynchpin of David Bowie’s last revelatory masterpiece “Blackstar”. Tim Lefebvre, known in Europe for his work with the Michael Wollny Trio, and also a member of Bowie’s last band is equally at home in jazz and in rock contexts. Nate Wood is an in-demand first call drummer and close associate of Donny McCaslin. Is that enough jazz chops and credibility? Well, there’s more, in the form of a GRAMMY winner, producer Al Pryor whose craft, knowledge and deep experience have brought listeners closer to the musicality and emotion of artists such as Cécile McLorin Salvant, Raul Midón and Christian McBride. Very little had been agreed or set down in advance when Julian und Roman Wasserfuhr arrived at the studio to meet the top-drawer American players. They had brought the sheet music of some pieces with them, but the guiding principle was to see what would transpire and to let things happen: “Bernie’s Tune” is a wonderfully optimistic up tempo opener. We’re straight into the ensemble sound that these players achieved without rehearsals, but with big ears and inspired playing. The band is here in its quintet form with guest artist Donnie McCaslin’s saxophone weaving and blending his counter melody with Julian’s trumpet. Julian and Roman’s obvious appreciation of funk and back beats is on display in “Tutto”. Julian’s wicked solo is balanced by Roman’s thoughtful, soulful take on the changes of the song. Nate Wood finds a deep and danceable groove. A power ballad, Tokio Hotel’s “Durch den Monsun”, in a clever arrangement by Julian and Roman, showcases their trademark interweaving of melodic lines. There’s a blistering tenor solo by McCaslin, followed by Julian’s intensely rhythmic triple tongued riffs. Nate Wood closes out the tune with a power drum salvo. On “Tinderly” and “S.N.C.F.” Julian and Donny make their bid for a place among the great front line horn players of jazz calling to mind such combinations as the fire of Freddie Hubbard and the cool of Stanley Turrentine. With Sting’s “Seven Days” Julian and Roman Wasserfuhr own the 5/4 time signature – as jazz musicians do. “Carlo” fuses the energy of this ensemble into the discipline, empathy and majesty that can only be found in a great ballad. Roman begins the final performance on the record, “First Rays Of Dawn”, just as he began the first: with a motif expressed in his pianism that allows Julian and the band to slip into a rapid and revelatory up tempo waltz; closing out the recording as they began, and in a manner characteristic of what has become a tradition in Brooklyn and beyond: new ideas and the artists who bring them. 


Credits: 
Music composed by Julian & Roman Wasserfuhr, unless otherwise noted 
Produced by Al Pryor 
Curated by Siggi Loch 
Recorded by Max Ross at Systems Two Recording Studios, Brooklyn (NY), August, 13 & 14, 2016 
Mixed and mastered by Klaus Scheuermann, September 2016 
Cover art by David Schnell, Auszug, 2016 (detail), by courtesy of Galerie EIGEN + ART Leipzig/Berlin



Artists: Julian & Roman Wasserfuhr
Format: CD
Instrumentation: Big Band & Ensembles
Land: Deutschland
Manufacturer information

ACT Music + Vision GmbH & Co.KG
Hardenbergstr. 9
D-10623 Berlin

Phone: + 49 - (0) 30 310 180 10
E-Mail: info@actmusic.com

Julian & Roman Wasserfuhr

Safe Place
Julian & Roman Wasserfuhr - Safe PlaceCD / Vinyl / digitalJulian Wasserfuhr trumpet & flugelhorn Roman Wasserfuhr piano, bass & drums (#10) Jörg Brinkmann cello Paul Heller saxophone (#6 & #7) ‘Safe Place’ was originally just one song, but Roman and I soon realised that it needed to be the title of the whole album. That was because it describes so well the feeling and the intention behind the music,’ says trumpeter Julian Wasserfuhr. The album “Safe Place” is a collection of music which gives you a feeling of being thoroughly at home. ‘Home’ here doesn’t mean so much a specific location, but rather an idea of familiarity, warmth, self-reflection. And the album – which also marks 20 years on the ACT label for the brothers Julian and Roman Wasserfuhr – offers an opportunity to reflect on what is essential: clear melodies, atmospheric musical images painted in warm colours, and an interplay between the players which has not just remarkable precision but also ineffable lightness.For the Wasserfuhr brothers, the concept of ‘home’ also represents their connections with people who are significant to them. First and foremost, naturally, they have their own relationship, inseparable in life as in music. But there are also firm musical friendships such as the one with cellist Jörg Brink-mann, with whom they recorded their previous album ‘Relaxin’ in Ireland’. Brinkmann clicked immediately with the ‘smallest form of a band’, as Julian and Roman call their duo. It was the beginning of a long collaboration, and the experiences which they shared, such as a tour of Central America, brought them even closer together. It therefore made sense once again to add the rich colours of the cello, as a means to broaden the possibilities of their combined tonal palette. In addition to cellist Jörg Brinkmann, another guest is added to the trio for two tracks: saxophonist Paul Heller. ‘Paul just has a fascinating way of playing,’ says Roman. ‘Working with him was actually an experiment at first, since our music is more like chamber music and he tends to play in larger ensembles. But especially in combination with Jörg, it was something wonderful.’Even if ‘Safe Place’ is intended to be understood as an abstract idea, this music has also clearly not been immune to events affecting the world in the past few years. ‘Of course that plays a role,’ says Julian Wasserfuhr. ‘The way people treat and communicate with each other has always been very important to us in the past. But it is precisely the current time, with its conflicts and contradictions, that makes us think – about the world, but also about ourselves.’ And so ‘Safe Place’ has become an extremely personal and emotional album. It seems as if the great tragedies and triumphs of the world are reflected for Julian and Roman Wasserfuhr on a small and intimate scale: in the gentle, warm breeze, ‘Vent Chaud’, with which the record begins, in the dreamlike ‘Dodo’, based on the French term ‘faire dodo’ – a lovingly child-like way of saying ‘going to sleep‘. ‘Luzifer’ describes Julian's concern for his ailing cat, while “El Caballo Valiente” tells of the will to live and the courage to face life of a fallen horse. “Solitude”, on the other hand, portrays the isolation and loneliness of the Corona pandemic. Roman says of the only cover on the album, Sting's “Fields of Gold”: ’We've covered Sting's music before. And ‘Fields of Gold’ in particular is just a wonderful song, describing such a beautiful place that it is also a ‘safe place’ for us‘.The last two tracks “Safe Place” and “Perfect Tiny Moment”, once again reflect the album’s essence: ‘Safe Place’ was initially created on the guitar, even though I can't play the guitar at all,’ says Julian. ‘I went to Roman with this initial idea, and he then developed it.‘ The two of them then played the song last year with the WDR Big Band, and then also gave it a try out with Jörg Brinkmann in a small line-up. “To this day, it remains the song from the record that we love to play on stage the most. In other words it's the absolute ”safe place’ for all three of us.’ The minimalist ‘Perfect Tiny Moment’ also expresses exactly that: the one small moment when all seems perfect, when everything simply is – and absolutely feels – just right.

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The brothers first came to the attention of producer Siggi Loch when they were 17 and 20 years old, joining the roster of ACT’s “Young German Jazz” series. Their “stunning debut album” (Süddeutsche Zeitung) “Remember Chet” was released in 2006, already showing a distinctive and original sound. “Upgraded in Gothenburg” was released in 2009, with Scandinavian greats Nils Landgren, Lars Danielsson und Magnus Lindgren. “Gravity” from 2011 had a quartet involving Wolfgang Haffner and Lars Danielsson, and told a story of how gravity is defied and overcome. By the time they made “Running” in 2013, the brothers were setting their own pace and direction, composing, recording and producing it themselves. Julian Wasserfuhr explains the origins of “Landed in Brooklyn: “Siggi Loch called us up last year, and asked if we were interested in making another album for the ACT label. Naturally we agreed – but we admitted that we hadn‘t really given it much thought.” So the idea emerged that the magic of the city of New York, as a force to propel and lift them, should became the concept behind the album. The established musicians they would then meet at the legendary System Two Recording Studios would act as their fountainheads of inspiration. First and foremost among those inspirers is saxophonist Donny McCaslin, the lynchpin of David Bowie’s last revelatory masterpiece “Blackstar”. Tim Lefebvre, known in Europe for his work with the Michael Wollny Trio, and also a member of Bowie’s last band is equally at home in jazz and in rock contexts. Nate Wood is an in-demand first call drummer and close associate of Donny McCaslin. Is that enough jazz chops and credibility? Well, there’s more, in the form of a GRAMMY winner, producer Al Pryor whose craft, knowledge and deep experience have brought listeners closer to the musicality and emotion of artists such as Cécile McLorin Salvant, Raul Midón and Christian McBride. Very little had been agreed or set down in advance when Julian und Roman Wasserfuhr arrived at the studio to meet the top-drawer American players. They had brought the sheet music of some pieces with them, but the guiding principle was to see what would transpire and to let things happen: “Bernie’s Tune” is a wonderfully optimistic up tempo opener. We’re straight into the ensemble sound that these players achieved without rehearsals, but with big ears and inspired playing. The band is here in its quintet form with guest artist Donnie McCaslin’s saxophone weaving and blending his counter melody with Julian’s trumpet. Julian and Roman’s obvious appreciation of funk and back beats is on display in “Tutto”. Julian’s wicked solo is balanced by Roman’s thoughtful, soulful take on the changes of the song. Nate Wood finds a deep and danceable groove. A power ballad, Tokio Hotel’s “Durch den Monsun”, in a clever arrangement by Julian and Roman, showcases their trademark interweaving of melodic lines. There’s a blistering tenor solo by McCaslin, followed by Julian’s intensely rhythmic triple tongued riffs. Nate Wood closes out the tune with a power drum salvo. On “Tinderly” and “S.N.C.F.” Julian and Donny make their bid for a place among the great front line horn players of jazz calling to mind such combinations as the fire of Freddie Hubbard and the cool of Stanley Turrentine. With Sting’s “Seven Days” Julian and Roman Wasserfuhr own the 5/4 time signature – as jazz musicians do. “Carlo” fuses the energy of this ensemble into the discipline, empathy and majesty that can only be found in a great ballad. Roman begins the final performance on the record, “First Rays Of Dawn”, just as he began the first: with a motif expressed in his pianism that allows Julian and the band to slip into a rapid and revelatory up tempo waltz; closing out the recording as they began, and in a manner characteristic of what has become a tradition in Brooklyn and beyond: new ideas and the artists who bring them. Credits: Music composed by Julian & Roman Wasserfuhr, unless otherwise noted Produced by Al Pryor Curated by Siggi Loch Recorded by Max Ross at Systems Two Recording Studios, Brooklyn (NY), August, 13 & 14, 2016 Mixed and mastered by Klaus Scheuermann, September 2016 Cover art by David Schnell, Auszug, 2016 (detail), by courtesy of Galerie EIGEN + ART Leipzig/Berlin

From €17.50*
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It has become her most personal album: A large part of the compositions, recording and production all from one hand. This testifies to maturity, self-confidence and a clear idea of playing that the Wasserfuhr brothers have gained in the meantime.

€17.50*
Gravity
After "Remeber Chet" and "Upgraded", another quantum leap in the career of these two exceptional talents: "The wonderful trumpeter Julian Wasserfuhr and his congenial pianist brother Roman succeed in directly conveying emotion beyond all the craftsmanship and instrumental virtuosity they possess anyway." Matthias Brandt (German actor)

€17.50*
Upgraded In Gothenburg
With "Upgraded In Gothenburg," the Wasserfuhr brothers take the next step in their impressive careers. The way they tell fascinating jazz stories filled with wonderful melodies alongside Sweden's top musicians is a delight.

€17.50*
Remember Chet
Remember Chet: Julian & Roman Wasserfuhr pay tribute to Chet Baker with a magical, melancholic jazz sound.

€17.50*