The Peter Lehel Quartet pays tribute to the writer Paul Auster with jazzy notes in the packed Schönaich tithe barn.
The organizers of the “Jazz in the Tithe Barn” series have once again achieved a resounding success.
Word has spread among jazz fans that it’s not to be missed when double bassist Judith Goldbach, together with the Schönaich Music School, presents top-notch jazz.
This currently happens three times a year, and the bassist utilizes her connections within the scene, to which she and her husband, Andreas Francke, ultimately belong themselves. “It’s nice to be on the other side sometimes,” she says, meaning listening in the audience rather than on stage.
The Peter Lehel Quartet is scheduled for Saturday evening. Awarded the Baden-Württemberg Jazz Prize in 1997, as well as the German Record Critics’ Award, Lehel has long been considered one of the crème de la crème of German jazz saxophonists.
He broke new ground with his CD recordings for “Paul Auster Jazz.” Inspired by the novels, stories, and characters of the American author, who died in 2024, he dedicates his latest work to him.
Without much electronics – Lehel’s fellow musicians in the newly formed quartet, given their skill, don’t need to rely heavily on electronics. The only exception is Ull Möck’s small Hammond organ, which he occasionally uses to great effect.
Dirk Blümlein plays his electric bass without any effects pedals, instead playing melodically and with a strong emphasis on harmony. Jakob Dinnebier’s drum kit is minimalist, and Peter Lehel needs neither reverb nor any other gimmicks. His embouchure alone encompasses a wide range of tonal colors.
“Mr. Vertigo” kicks off the colorful program. It begins with a lyrical, expansive piano/bass intro by Möck and Blümlein, before Lehel joins in with a warm tenor saxophone tone and his signature phrasing. Dinnebier on drums provides the rhythmic drive.
The musical realization of Auster’s ideas is also audible in the subsequent numbers, not least because Lehel explains the underlying concepts of each piece in his introductions. After “Kitty Wu’s Moon Palace,” “Quinn,” “Jim Nashe Blues,” and “Blue Smoke In The Face,” the quartet bids farewell to Auster shortly before the intermission.
Appearing as if from nowhere… What happened up until then? Visually, the relaxed, serene posture of Lehel and Dinnebier, as well as the lively, expressive, and smiling communication between Möck and Blümlein, are striking. Musically, Möck’s fingers dance across the keys, creating innovative and harmonious connections.
Lehel lets his saxophone tell the stories with occasional, screeching high-note licks, which he playfully intones. And then suddenly, as if from nowhere, razor-sharp unison phrases from the four musicians emerge, interspersed with a tender yet driving soprano sax solo. Blümlein’s multifaceted, melodic bass lines are at times reminiscent of Weather Report’s electric bass virtuoso Jaco Pastorius (1951-1987).
Dinnebier places himself entirely at the service of Lehel’s compositions, unobtrusively, delicately, and technically adeptly. Lehel himself is a seasoned saxophonist, and there’s hardly any room for improvement—simply beautiful, performed with radiant dynamics!
It doesn’t stop at a tribute to Auster; Before the intermission, the great jazz saxophonist John Coltrane (1926-1967) is honored. “Trane’s Mood” begins with a solo sax, effectively blown into the open grand piano. Coltrane would likely have been delighted by the ethereal quality, the subsequent dense intensity, and Lehel’s keyboard acrobatics!
Inspired by Coltrane’s “Naima,” Lehel wrote “Anima” for his daughter, a beautiful ballad with an expressive piano solo. “The Hussar Ride” brings the approximately two-hour concert to a close with full force—almost.
With so much talent on display, the audience also has a say. The quartet has “Celebration Blues” and “Losing My Mind” up their sleeves as encores. These, like all the other pieces, are Lehel’s own compositions.
With impressive solos, they leave their mark, and the audience will remember the experience as a jazz evening par excellence!
