Peter Protschka

Hearts and Minds" is not just any album title, because the quintet of the Cologne trumpeter and flugelhorn player Peter Protschka really plays with heart and brain. The band's first studio album - before that there was the live album "Twilight Jamboree" - brings together eight compositions, half of which are by the band leader and the other half by the American tenor saxophonist Rick Margitza. Behind his sophisticated numbers are homages to various jazz greats - it should be clear to everyone who is meant by "St. Sonny" or "E Jones" - but he also describes his adopted country with "August in Paris" or the sound of the band with "Warm". "Our repertoire of many years is huge and that's why we decided to record it once on a studio album now," Protschka explains his motivation. "The band was well-rehearsed because the recordings were made during our tour last September. So the band was documented how it actually sounds live as well." And that's pretty palatable, although the label post-bop only sticks to the five-piece band to a limited extent, because they also process a lot of crooked bars and use more open forms and complex harmonies than a classic post-bop band. "We play contemporary European straight-ahead jazz, but with an intense eye on the American tradition," Protschka formulates his sound ideal. "It's a very warm, lyrical sound where you can also hear our different backgrounds and influences. But we all appreciate American music very much and you can hear that." The quintet has been playing together in the same line-up for nine years now and you can hear in the carefully coordinated sound that the five musicians have grown together. Be it in a sensual ballad like "Hymn for the Suffering" or in the ten-minute, high-energy "Tom's Groove" - dedicated to American trumpeter Tom Harrell, by the way. "We were all happy from the first second," Protschka recalls of the recordings. "Sound engineer Klaus Endel gave a super vibe and made a good sound." The furious unison passages with Protschka and Rick Margitza blend into a sound all of their own, but of course the tenorist is also given plenty of space for solos. "Rick is one of the most original tenor saxophonists of his generation," finds Protschka. "He has developed his very own language, very lyrical, but sometimes also intellectual. He plays very sensitively and works a lot with timbres, but you can still hear the whole tradition - he still played with Miles Davis, after all." Protschka is also enthusiastic about his pianist Martin Sasse. "Martin is one of the very few pianists in this country who can play this music authentically," he enthuses. "He is one of the leading straight-ahead pianists and is constantly developing. He's also a fantastic accompanist." Tobias Backhaus is a man behind the drums who has played with musicians such as Till Brönner, Tony Lakatos, Bob Degen, Frank Chastenier and Wanja Slavin. "Tobias is a very versatile drummer who is at home in many styles, but his heart beats for the American way of playing," Protschka is pleased to say. "He manages to keep his energy up continuously during a concert or recording session, giving the soloists the kicks they need." Grounding the band with low tones is Martin Gjakpnovski on double bass, who has featured on over one hundred albums. "Martin is one of the top bass players in Europe, who is always called upon when American musicians come over," Protschka is impressed. "It's hard to get him, though, because he lives in the Balkans now." Together, the Peter Protschka Quintet presents music with "Hearts and Minds" that sounds as rested and casual as it does fresh and energetic.

Personnel:

Peter Protschka, trumpet/flugelhorn/compositions

Rick Margitza, tenor sax/compositions

Martin Sasse, piano

Martin Gjakonovski, bass

Tobias Backhaus, drums

The sound of a Hammond-B3 is a challenge for the musicians involved, because it is powerful and has the sound diversity of a whole orchestra. "You have to play very differently than with a bass, because the swing that is created is completely different," Protschka explains. "It's all a bit more airy and more wrapped in cotton wool. The sound variety of a real Hammond-B3 is just great, of course related to the real organ, but with a bit more roughness. You have to be able to handle the sound concept. The organist has to fill in a lot and provide foundation, but at the same time the sound has to remain transparent, because otherwise there's no room for the other instruments." With the Swedish saxophonist Johan Hörlen, lead player of the WDR Big Band, who has also recorded records under his own name, a second wind player is on board, who provides contrasts in the sound and contributes gripping solos. The band is held together by the Swiss drummer Silvio Morger, who has been setting important accents in the German scene for years, for example with Hannah Köpf, Volker Engelberth or Matthias Schriefl. "We didn't want to play traditional organ jazz," Protschka clarifies. "A record that inspired me is therefore 'Unity' by Larry Young with Joe Henderson, Woody Shaw and Elvin Jones. We have a modern line-up that plays almost exclusively our own compositions. They just shouldn't be groove tunes." The album opens with Hörlen's refined simmering "Canoe", Orth has contributed the groovy yet rested "Trip Bounce", among others, and Protschka himself, for example, wrote the round-the-corner ballad "Early Autumn". Only one song from someone else's pen has crept into "Organic Universe", it is the famous "One Finger Snap" from Herbie Hancock's legendary album "Empyrean Isles". "The arrangement started to form in my head at some point," Protschka recalls. "That line at the beginning came to me one morning, it goes around in circles until the theme comes. Clemens also wanted to improvise on this vamp and I've always been into that song." Of course, Protschka is also enthusiastic about the classical organ trios of the sixties and seventies, but he had something different in mind for his band. "We deliberately decided on a line-up without guitar to create a sound that you don't hear that often," says the trumpeter. "Through his strong playing, Clemens has translated this sound into the modern age." Many songs on "Organic Universe" groove like hell, but it is definitely not an album that could have been created in the sixties - the songs are too complex and differentiated for that and the ensemble sound is current and contemporary. And something else is important to Peter Protschka: "It's a real working band that has been playing together for many years and we know each other very well," he says. "It's just a big advantage if you can assess the guys you go into the studio with." This makes "Organic Universe" a special listening pleasure - or to put it with the title of a Protschka song: "God moves in Mysterious Ways".

Personnel:

Peter Protschka, trumpet/flugelhorn/compositions

Johan Hörlen, alto and soprano saxes/compositions

Clemens Orth, organ/compositions

Silvio Morger, drums

My current quintet with the wonderful Rick Margitza (USA/Paris) on tenor saxophone. Almost exclusively my own pieces are played here. The music was recorded live at the legendary Bird's Eye in Basel in one evening - all live, no overdubs. A hard swinging and grooving rhythm section with Martin Sasse, Martin Gjakonovski and Tobias Backhaus is also part of the group.

Personnel:

Peter Protschka, trumpet/flugelhorn/compositions

Rick Margitza, tenor sax/compositions

Martin Sasse, piano

Martin Gjakonovski, bass

Tobias Backhaus, drums

My second CD with exclusively my own music in a quartet. High sound culture and a highly emotional journey through contemporary jazz are guaranteed here by me and a rhythm section consisting of Rainer Böhm, Christian Ramond and Sebastian Merk.

Our tribute to Art Blakey, his Jazz Messengers and various bands that emerged from his musical spirit and environment. Here we offer classic hardbop of the purest school with musicians from the Cologne Area at the highest level.

Personnel:

Peter Protschka, trumpet/flugelhorn

Rene Klement, trombone

Bernd Hartnagel, tenor sax

Alexander Schimmeroth, piano

Fedor Ruskuc, bass

Rene Marx, drums

My debut album with a top-class European quintet. Contemporary modern jazz - only original compositions from my pen - at the highest level with Paul Heller, Rainer Böhm, Thomas Stabenow and Dejan Terzic.