Timo Vollbrecht
Timo Vollbrecht
Timo Vollbrecht – Bremen New York
Timo Vollbrecht – sax | Ralph Alessi – trumpet | Elias Stemeseder – piano | Chris Tordini – bass | Thomas Strønen – drums
Saxophonist Timo Vollbrecht has managed to assemble his international dream-band under the most fitting title imaginable. With Ralph Alessi on trumpet, leading New York-bassist Chris Tordini, Thomas Strønen – another ECM artist – on drums, and Elias Stemeseder on piano. To accomplish this small miracle, the bandleader drew not only on his exceptional musical talent but also on his longstanding connections to both Bremen and his adopted home, New York.
Timo Vollbrecht is a phenomenon – someone who seizes every opportunity, leaving no stone unturned. 15 years ago, he moved from Berlin to New York: to study, make his way on the scene, and develop his artistic voice. In 2020, he finished his PhD thesis on a topic that does not just fall into someone’s lap (a story for another day). Now, he directs the Jazz Program at Brown University and is involved in myriad projects that fluidly span styles and genres.
What drives this self-made man to release a live album with a “classic” jazz quintet? A production and band format that, nowadays, almost seems unorthodox. “Jazz is an art form that really thrives when it’s played live,” Timo gushes, “It’s the synergy with the audience that can lift the music to completely new heights. And if I am being honest, my favorite records … are live records.”
And that’s what Bremen New York is: Entirely live – yet exhibiting an unusual kind of perfection. Timo composed the music deliberately for this encounter, writing for the concert hall that he knew so well: “The Sendesaal, Bremen’s radio hall, is one of the best sounding venues in Europe; the room’s distinctive resonance directly altered our time-feel. And the piano there is unbelievable.” It is Timo’s old pal Elias Stemeseder who plays this instrument with remarkable sensitivity and an inimitable touch. His sparse and equally masterful playing adds an extra layer of brilliance to the whole. The 8 minute-long opener “Com Tempo,” however, begins initially without him: For a minute, it feels like time travel to the late 1960s – with Ralph Alessi’s drop-dead trumpet chops on full display, driven forward by Tordini’s and Strønen’s filigree rhythm work. Then the sparse head with its haunting melody enters. And here, the lyricism begins to emerge that runs through the entire album – a lyricism that is characteristic of Timo’s unique personal signature. In this first track, all five musicians embark on a pilgrimage, which, as the album progresses, holds more surprises in store. Along for the ride is Strønen’s gran cassa drum, expanding the band’s range through its massive and cozy low end.
This is how Timo Vollbrecht wanted it to sound: live and inspired in the moment, like his heroes, such as Joe Henderson’s Live at Slugs or Keith Jarrett’s Personal Mountains. But this is not the melodramatic whim of a jazz musician fulfilling a nostalgic dream. Those familiar with Timo Vollbrecht know that he often travels on wildly different paths. His album Givers & Takers by his ensemble Fly Magic (also released on Berthold Records), for example, emerged from a completely different framework, blending electro-acoustic jazz, loose grooves, and radically free elements into an otherworldly sound trip.
Born musician, Doctor of Philosophy, Ivy League professor, and scholar: Timo Vollbrecht is writing his book on ECM legend Manfred Eicher, which certainly cross-pollinates with this acoustic endeavor. With so many hats, he knows exactly what he wants. But he is also capable of letting things run their course. Without this ability, the magical moments on this album would not unfold. It takes the right people at the right time, in a relaxed atmosphere, inspired by the acoustics of a legendary concert hall. And more is needed: strong writing capable of inspiring five individualists to give their all – who, with little rehearsal and a single recording day, grow beyond themselves and the material. The pieces bear titles like „Brighton Blues,“ „Spicy Moon,“ and „New York Love Affair.“ Ultimately, it comes down to synergy: between band and audience, and at the intersection of musical worlds. Here, chamber-music aesthetics meet a deep rootedness in the jazz lineage. Recording producer Arne Schumacher and sound engineer Frank Jacobsen do their part, while Sendesaal, Radio Bremen, and the Berthold record label join forces to make it all possible. But above all, there is one person without whom none of this would have been possible – someone who creates the right music at the right moment: Timo Vollbrecht.
Jan Kobrzinowski
Author, journalist, and editor-in-chief at Jazzthetik
