Timo Vollbrecht Fly Magic - Faces In Places (BERTHOLD RECORDS March 16, 2018)

Nine Matches - Nine Songs

Even without knowing the stories behind the individual pieces, Timo Vollbrecht's new album Faces in Places is a listener. Combined with the background stories, this great music becomes an impressive experience. Fly Magic is the name of the band in which Vollbrecht (saxophone) meets Keisuke Matsuno (guitar), Elias Stemeseder (piano and keyboards), Martin Nevin (bass) and Jason Burger (drums). Together they have recorded an album whose pieces are as exciting as they are refined and authentic.

"Each piece is dedicated to someone I met - or it is inspired by him," Vollbrecht explains the concept of the album and adds: "In recent years, we have traveled a lot on our tours. Almost everywhere in the world we met fascinating people who impressed us in very different ways. When we got home, I got the idea to write songs about them. The first piece was Muhammad. "

The story begins in Syrian Aleppo in 2010. On the morning after a concert, Vollbrecht sets off for a walk and watches the many traders opening their shops. When he eventually loses his orientation, he calls on a friendly, blinding man. It is Muhammad who immediately interrupts his work. "He gave me an hour of his time. Not only to give me the right way back, but also to show me the inner city, "Vollbrecht recalls and explains:" For him, I wrote this piece and tried to convey the pride and dignity that Muhammad broadcast to incorporate the melody. Unfortunately, we have not exchanged telephone numbers or email addresses. Since the terrible bombardments, I have often wondered what happened to him. "

Espacio has dedicated Vollbrecht to Dorivan, a flutist from Cambodia, with whom the band worked together during a project in Phnom Penh. A true master on the Khloy - an old, traditional bamboo flute. The piece is inspired by the slow, graceful movements of the Khmer dancers. "At the same time, it also refers to the eternal emptiness that we felt after visiting the Genocide Museum in the Cambodian capital," said Vollbrecht.

Tiffany is a "dear friend from Singapore, who attended our concert at the Sing Jazz Club and then took us on a trip to the bustling, colorful and impressive city."

Schaumburg in turn is an ode to Vollbrechts home, the same district in Lower Saxony near Hannover. Now living in New York City, "the piece expresses the joy and relief of coming home, as well as the feeling of longing when I'm not there," says the saxophonist.

During their tour of South America, the band also spent a few days in Chile. "There we lived with Francisco - a warm-hearted, almost exuberant gentleman who loves music. On the roof of his house in the port city of Valparaíso, we made music all night - which the neighbors did not particularly enjoy ", smiles Vollbrecht.

In Malaysia, the musicians met Mala - a young, proud Muslim from Kuala Lumpur. The encounter with her fell right at the time when Mala decided to remove her headscarf - even at the risk of being socially criticized. "The piece Mala's World is dedicated to all women who have the courage to take their lives in male-dominated societies in their own hands and to fight for freedom of religion and expression."

Vollbrecht does not label all these pieces as "political" in the classical sense. The saxophonist sees his music as a powerful tool. "As the band often tours, we naturally discuss what's going on. About the emergence of populists, for example, with the slogans of US President Trump, on the AfD in Germany or what is happening in Austria. These developments worry us. And music is an important and great way to familiarize listeners with different perspectives and perspectives, "emphasizes Vollbrecht.

The musicians of the quintet surround a tight band - on and off the stage. They are all part of a jazz community whose members help and inspire each other. Vollbrecht has been working together with Keisuke Matsuno for many years. The guitarist is a sound wizard who knows how to elicit swirling, ethereal sounds from his instrument. Elias Stemeseder is an experienced, extremely creative pianist and keyboarder who always manages to surprise his audience with his improvisations. Martin Nevin is one of the most sought after bass players in the Big Apple, with its warm, soulful sound shaping the rhythm of the band - along with Jason Burger, whose drumming is as versatile as it is innovative.

Timo Vollbrecht and his ensemble are among the rising stars in the jazz scene. "Actually, there is no drawer for our kind of music. But when asked about it, I would most likely call it a mixture of jazz, avant-garde, post and indie rock, as well as folk and contemporary classical music. This creates soundscapes like from another world. "

Or - as US vibraphist Stefon Harris describes it: "Because so many different influences come together in him, Timo Vollbrecht breaks the usual boundaries of the music genre." The press praises the young German saxophonist in the highest tones. The Hot House Jazz Guide certifies him "remarkable talent", while the Norddeutsche Rundfunk sees in him a "real discovery".

With his album Faces in Places, he effortlessly fulfills his high expectations.