Kurt Rosenwinkel, guit // Jean-Paul Brodbeck, piano // Lukas Traxel, bass // Jorge Rossi, drums
Brodbeck's new arrangements take up the yearning melodies and classical-romantic harmonic structures of Johannes Brahms and find a new form of expression with these familiar and carefully selected compositions. The "folk style" to which Brahms felt connected becomes a refreshing jazz sound in which the ritual element of Hungarian dances is revived, as well as the touching beauty of the late piano pieces. Rosenwinkel's wide-ranging bows and the expressiveness of his playing come to the fore in a powerful way on this recording. In addition, Brodbeck's selected orchestrations with the Traxel-Rossy rhythm duo move within an extremely song-serving framework. We experience earthy groove-emphasised music upon which improvisations expand. Brahms' famous lullaby rounds off the programme and canonises this extraordinary repertoire.
