CELEBRATION

Markus Stockhausen Group featuring Tamara Lukasheva, Rabih Lahoud, Nguyên Lê, Mateusz Smoczynski, Levan Andria and Bodek Janke.

“Celebration” a celebration of life, music and friendship between our quartet and wonderful guest musicians from around the world! While I composed music for each of these soloists, I also invited them to improvise freely with us. The result is a colourful palette of very different music. Celebrating in these times when the world is facing so many challenges? Yes, absolutely! With music. That is our modest contribution to reconciliation in the world.

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The Group

Markus Stockhausen Flügelhorn/Tp
Jeroen van Vliet Piano, Synthesizer
Jörg Brinkmann Cello
Christian Thomé Drums

Guest soloists

Rabih Lahoud – what a wonderful, expressive voice! Since embarking on our “Eternal Voyage” together in 2008, we have become good friends. Today Rabih is one of the finest singers in Germany and beyond. (Salam)

Levan Andria – is a young cellist who stood in superbly for Jörg Brinkmann at several of our concerts, bringing his own style of playing to our music. This gave me the idea of bringing together Levan and Jörg, and it worked wonderfully! In the free improvisation “Spiegelung” they mirror one another, throwing musical balls back and forth between them.

Tamara Lukasheva – what impressive vocal control, agility, intonation and timing she possesses. Seamlessly adapting to the sound of our group, she made our music shine. It was marvellous to experience. Equally impressive is her desire to strive for the highest musical standards. (Gentle – Seeing the Light, Falling Stars)

Nguyên Lê – a master of the electric guitar. I have admired him since the mid-90s and played with him in Dhafer Youssef’s group (notably on the legendary album “Malak”), and in my “Possible Worlds Orchestra”. In “Celebration”, one can hear the joy of our reunion. Nguyên takes us into new realms, and leads us into intense, adventurous sound spaces. (Savanne, Hallelujah, Dancing on Clouds)

Bodek Janke – is a magnificent tablaable player, subtle, strong and full of virtuosity (Salam, Abstract Lines). His complex and driving drumming comes alive particularly in the interplay with Christian in all the pieces with Nguyên (Savanne, Hallelujah, Dancing on Clouds). Christian and Bodek played together previously on “Wild Life”, so this felt like a friendly continuation of and musical expansion on earlier themes.

Mateusz Smoczynski – we met at a festival in Belgrade and got to know each other on the subsequent flight, exchanging our CDs. Impressed by his incredible violin playing, I wanted to play with him as soon as possible. He masters the most complicated passages seemingly effortlessly, is adept in all styles while also remaining imaginative and free. (Revolution, Abstract Lines)

a review from Italy

Celebration is out and once again you get the feeling that there is something more than the best jazz record of its time. Because the musical and linguistic synthesis of the trumpeter composer still goes beyond the language of jazz. From the beginning, Markus mixes fusion, progressive rock, world, contemporary, chamber jazz, ambient towards that syncretism that – for years now – has been the basis of his musical writing. Flanked by breathtaking talents and top-class guests, Markus’ trumpet and flugelhorn rise with a timbre and lyricism that is unparalleled today. Once again a masterpiece that you will surely find among my 10 albums of the year.
by Max Marchini, June 1, 2024 in Rockerilla, Italy