“Though the ear choose not to hear, In the heart I echo, clear: Savage power I exercise, Transformed I am, to mortal eyes”
– Care, Faust Part II – Goethe (1832)
Takes Michael Wollny material for a giant step beyond
Drawn from the Michael Wollny Trio Living Ghosts (Live) to be released on 28 February the album’s initial very beautiful track a mash up of Ghosts track ‘Willow’s Song’ leading into the bluesy ‘This West’ is now streaming on Bandcamp. It doesn’t seem to be on Spotify – at least so far.
The new album draws partly on ur text material spun from 2022 studio album Ghosts and introduces new emblematic ideas and dazzling composition as enhancements.
The upcoming album, recorded during the spring of last year features the pianist leader Wollny with bassist Tim Lefebvre and drummer Eric Schaefer.
Spectre of enchantment
The album artwork cover image is one of ACT’s best in years. Have a look:
Wollny, born in 1978 in the Bavarian city of Schweinfurt, is widely regarded as one of Europe’s most outstanding jazz musicians.
Also a long time professor of jazz piano at the Leipzig Hochschule for Music and Theatre since 2014 he is known for his boundary pushing innovative style at home with original composition whether contemporary, pop, jazz or classical. I’ve seen him live a few times most memorably at Ronnie Scott’s.
Wollny is fantastic live – abiding memories of Das Modell pertain
When I worked for Jazzwise I reviewed Wollny’s band at the time [em] back in 2012 which included his current drummer, Schaefer.
It was [em]’s first ever gig at Ronnie’s and the band had just released the staggeringly accomplished Wasted & Wanted, a remarkable alchemy of improvising based around original songs and treatments of Mahler, Schubert and the joker in the pack Kraftwerk’s ‘The Model’ auf deutsch ‘Das Modell.’
Later in their set as I wrote at the time the autobahn from Düsseldorf led directly to the West End in an extended improvised interpretation of the electronic music pioneers’ floor filler that led to calls for two encores.
Leading Eurojazz figure
Wollny has received numerous awards, including multiple ECHO Jazz awards, and he has been praised for his ability to blend influences from classical, avant-garde, and pop music. His previous albums with various ensembles, including the trio [em] which initially made his name and collaborations with artists such as French saxophonist Emile Parisien have established him as a leading figure in contemporary European jazz.
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