Daniel Torres Sextett bei den jazzopen Stuttgart 2024
Daniel Torres – Tenorsaxofon
Perico Sambeat – Altsaxofon
Juan Galiardo – Piano
Joris Teepe – Bass
Owen Hart Jr. – Schlagzeug
Carlos Cortés – Percussion
Stuttgart, 20.7.2024
Das Daniel Torres Sextett eröffnete mit hochkarätigem Jazz den Konzertabend mit Lizz Wright und Angélique Kidjo im Alten Schloss
Mit Instrumentaljazz und einer hochkarätigen Band begeisterte Daniel Torres aus Màlaga das Jazz Open Publikum am dritten Festivaltag im Alten Schloss in Stuttgart. Ein Konzert für Jazzfans und ein spannender Kontrast zu den starken weiblichen Stimmen, die den weiteren Abend mit gefühlvollem Americana/Folk (Lizz Wright) und energiegeladener Weltmusik (Angélique Kidjo) gestalteten. Tenorsaxofonist Daniel Torres präsentierte sein neues Sextett-Projekt „Stepping Out Of Reality“.
Die Vorzeichen muteten andalusisch an: Ein heißer Sommertag, eine brodelnde Innenstadt, noch 32 Grad um 18 Uhr – ein herrliches Ambiente im Innenhof des alten Schlosses. Nur dass in Andalusien Konzerte erst viel später beginnen – erst recht im Sommer, wo es schon mal um 24 Uhr losgehen kann. Das Sextett des 42-jährigen Malagueño Torres machte das Beste draus und spielte sich kontinuerlich steigernd in einen konzentrierten Flow. Etwas störend, aber wohl Schicksal der zuerst spielenden Band, dass viele Besucher erst während des laufenden Konzerts zum mit 1200 Plätzen ausverkauften Dreifach-Konzertabend eintrafen.
Stepping Out Of Reality
Mitgebracht hatte Daniel Torres die Originalbesetzung seines Sextett-Projekts „Stepping Out Of Reality“ und sieben Stücke des brandneuen gleichnamigen Albums – eigene, kunstvoll fürs Sextett arrangierte Kompositionen des Bandleaders. Eingängige Stücke, die die klanglichen Möglichkeiten dieses Sextetts hervorragend präsentierten. Gleich mit dem ersten Stück „Shades Of McCoy“ wurde der Piano-Legende McCoy Tyner Referenz erwiesen. Am Flügel glänzte hier Juan Galiardo aus San Roque/Cádiz, musikalischer Weggefährte des Bandleaders seit vielen Jahren und Magna-cum-laude-Berklee(Boston)-Absolvent. An der Percussion überraschte Multitalent Carlos Cortés: Er gab an Bongos und Congas vielen Stücken den Latin Touch, dabei zählt er in Andalusien zu den renommierten Flamenco-Gitarristen. Die Rhythmusgruppe vervollständigten der amerikanische Drummer Owen Hart jr, der in Amsterdam lebt und hierzulande auch schon öfters mit dem Ramón Valle Trio zu hören war, sowie der niederländische Bassist Joris Teepe, Leiter der Jazz Studies am Konservatorium in Groningen/NL, den Daniel Torres während seines Jazzstudiums dort kennenlernte.
In erster Reihe und im Zentrum des Geschehens aber standen natürlich stets Daniel Torres am Tenorsaxofon und Perico Sambeat am Altsaxofon. In wunderbaren Unisono-Passagen oder wechselnden Soli war hier Saxofon auf höchstem europäischen Niveau zu hören: ob im albumtitelgebenden Stück „Stepping Out Of Reality“ oder im groovenden „Kally´s Dream“, ob in der futuristisch mit einem dystopischen Video visuell untermalten und eher free angelegten Komposition „Morcillator And The Nuclear Apocalypsis“ oder im melodiösen Schlussstück „Mar de Cristal“.
Saxofon auf höchstem Niveau
Mit Perico Sambeat (Jg. 1962) aus Valencia hatte Daniel Torres einen der profiliertesten europäischen Altsaxofonisten an seiner Seite. Perico Sambeat veröffentlichte bereits 2003 sein Album „Friendship“ mit Brad Meldau, Kurt Rosenwinkel und Jeff Ballard beim renommierten deutschen Jazzlabel ACT und gilt als internationale Größe am Altsaxofon. Wer die Musik von Daniel Torres nachhören oder kennenlernen möchte: Beim valencianischen Label „Sedajazz Records“ wird „Stepping Out Of Reality“ in Kürze erhältlich sein (www.sedajazz.es).
PS: Das am Ende begeistert applaudierende Publikum hatte dieses Konzert übrigens ganz direkt Festivalchef Jürgen Schlensog zu verdanken. Wie er in der Pressekonferenz der Jazz Open erzählte, hatte er Daniel Torres in Spanien per Zufall gehört und direkt zu den Jazz Open eingeladen. Tatsächlich gibt es in Spanien noch einige hochtalentierte Musiker mehr zu entdecken – nicht zuletzt aufgrund einer bemerkenswerten Ausbildung und Nachwuchsarbeit in Barcelona und Valencia. Sicher nicht ohne Grund befindet sich der einzige europäische Standort des renommierten Berklee College of Music (Boston) in Valencia.
Claudia Rodi
Das Interview mit Daniel Torres führte Claudia Rodi nach ihrem Auftritt bei der jazzopen 2024.
Das Interview hier in Übersetzung:
Daniel Torres, tonight [you played] at the Jazz Open, in the old castle’s courtyard. Has it been the first time you’ve been to Stuttgart or Germany?
In Germany, no. I’ve been once to St. Berlin, Cologne. I’ve been to Kehl, well, near Strasbourg. I’ve been to Düsseldorf, but I’ve never been to Stuttgart.
It’s the first time?
Yes, yes, yes. A beautiful place.
This month you’ve released your new album, Stepping Out of Reality. It was recorded with the same set that you took to this concert to present this night. Can you tell me a little bit about this album, the concept of Stepping Out of Reality?
The idea came up a year and a half ago. Well, the idea came up a long time before, during the lockdown. Stepping out of reality is a play on words, like escaping from reality. That reality was very strange. But it was a long time after when we recorded. And since we recorded until now, also a long time has passed. For various reasons I had the album waiting there and now I have launched it. This is the main presentation flight.
Is this a small tour you are doing?
Yes, right now we had another concert in Kehl yesterday, this is the second one, and I’m planning a tour in Spain, if it´s possible in Netherlands an Germany, in the next months.
You are from Malaga, but some the musicians of your band are different places. Tell me a little about your musicians. Perico Sambeat is one of the most prestigious jazz musicians in Spain, in Europe. Introduce us a little to the other members of the group.
Yes, Joris Tepe, the bass player, is from Groningen in the Netherlands, he was the director of the conservatory where I did my bachelor’s degree in the second year. We met 15 years ago. And then we became friends, we did some concerts together, and I decided to call him for this project. And it has been a success. He lives in Amsterdam. Owen Hart, the drummer, is American, but he lives near Amsterdam. And I know him from playing with him in Romania with a project, with a mutual friend. And the Pianist Juan Galiardo, I have known him for many years. He lives near me in San Roque. One hour from Málaga. A little less. He has always been one of my favorites an one of my friends.
I have also read that you have studied in Boston.
Yes, I studied in Berkeley, Boston. And Carlos Cortez is from Cádiz. He lives in Malaga for many years, he’s a great friend. His percussion is incredible. He also plays flamenco guitar, composes, produces, does everything. And I love the idea of having him here. And that’s it. That’s all.
But it’s … well, it’s a project for the record studio, you can’t keep a sextet for the whole year? It’s ambitious.
Yes, to get together there has to be an important concert. But we can’t stay to rehearse tomorrow, because everyone lives in a different country but if a couple of flights come up, like now, in a tour, we would meet and I know they are so happy to be in the group.
The compositions of the album and from that concert we heard tonight are all yours?
Yes.
Tell me a little about the compositions. In one composition, for example, we ould see a movie of monsters, what was that?
Well, there were two songs from the album left, there was no time to play them all. And that song where you saw the movie was a theme of free jazz. The melody does not have many notes. There is a pattern of some Long notes and screams. Joris and Juan screamed. I decided to make an intro with a video and some extraterrestrial sounds, and that was part of the theme, at a certain moment we started playing and it joined with the image, I had never done something like that, but I found it fun. So I will continue using that video.
And the other songs?
Yes, the other ones are more normal. There is a song that we haven’t played yet that has a lot of influence from bolero, South American music. There was another that had a little influence from bossa, although it really isn’t a bossa, it’s the last one, Mar del Cristal. I wanted to have some ingredients of that kind of music. Also, it’s the first time I use percussion.
The first time?
In my project, yes. In my composition. And that .. opens another door. and then there are also songs like Shades of McCoy, which is dedicated to McCoy Tyner, one of my favorite musicians. It’s also perfect for Juan because he has the McCoy style, super integrated. It’s great. Then there’s more jazz straight ahead, but it also has an afro part, where there is percussion.
And is there a Spanish flavor too?
More than Spanish I would say Latin, with the Congas. There´s no flamenco. But there is a reminiscence to bolero or bossa, something like that. It’s what came naturally to me. And what else? There is a blues, I like it. Whenever I do a recording I like to include a blues. It’s a very typical jazz music, something that makes you feel very comfortable. The form of the blues is usually the first thing we learn and use to improvise. It’s very open, it gives a lot of possibilities. So there’s a bit of everything. It’s a not very defined style, I like it to be varied.
In which style of jazz do you feel yourself most comfortable?
In many. I also like Jazz Standards. Where I feel very comfortable is in let’s say, Bebop and Hardbop, I also play some pieces og jazz modal, or also some free jazz, which is a completely different thing. I don’t identify with a single single jazz style but, I like a lot of different styles.
Hey, and one last question. How did you find the atmosphere here?
Incredible. In the courtyard of the castle. I think it’s the best place I’ve played at a festival so far. I have played in many festivals, they have treated us very well, the sound is very good, the place is very beautiful, people have liked it I didn’t know we were so hot I thought it was going to be less hot, it seems that I am in Malaga but it was an incredible experience. Are you coming back tomorrow or when? I’m staying with my girlfriend for another day.
So tomorrow I’ll see you at the concert. Thank you so much Daniel Torres for the time. I’m glad you played here at the concert. Spanish, the ones that bring… so we can hear them.
And really, there aren’t that many jazz bands. I mean, what there is is very good, but there are a lot…
There are very good bands, but it’s not jazz, right?
But well, there are several incredible bands. It’s a great festival. And… well, I’m very happy. Well, thank you. Well, thank you.
Thank you very much.
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