# Larry Grenadier and the Seim, Randalu, Klampanis, Janke Quartet … Video, Photos

- Link: https://jazzblues.eu/2026/01/23/larry-grenadier-and-the-seim-randalu-klampanis-janke-quartet-video-photos/
- Published: 2026-01-23T19:00:28+01:00
- Author: https://JazzBlues.EU

**Eberhard Weber has been the patron of the Esslingen Jazz Festival since its inception.
However, the great bassist was unable to attend this evening: the 85-year-old lives
in the South of France.**

Nevertheless, his presence was clearly felt.

Maximilian Merkle, managing director and artistic director of the festival, had 
dedicated an entire evening to the exceptional musician. Naturally, an equally outstanding
bassist had to be invited – and Merkle found him in Larry Grenadier.

![](https://i0.wp.com/www.jazzreportagen.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Seim_Randalu_Klampanis_Janke_3474_C_Rainer_Ortag.
jpg?w=640&ssl=1)

Grenadier, too, has decisively shaped and expanded the double bass playing in jazz:
he liberated the instrument from its role as a mere rhythmic foundation and made
it an equal vehicle for melody and harmony.

He developed this musical language as a sideman to some of the most influential 
musicians of his generation – including Brad Mehldau, Pat Metheny, and Joshua Redman,
but also Charles Lloyd and John Scofield. The list could easily be extended.

This evening, Grenadier stood alone on stage – and captivated the audience from 
the very first minute. Plucked, strummed, bowed: His playing was so multifaceted
and masterful that even after 45 minutes, one would have gladly listened for much
longer.

After a short intermission, a quartet assembled specifically for this performance
took to the stage. The four musicians had already worked together in other configurations,
but this was their first time playing together in this lineup.

![](https://i0.wp.com/www.jazzreportagen.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Seim_Randalu_Klampanis_Janke_3410_C_Rainer_Ortag.
jpg?w=640&ssl=1)

Pianist Kristjan Randalu and the multi-award-winning drummer and tabla player Bodek
Janke have a long-standing collaboration – both as a duo and in the trio of double
bassist Petros Klampanis.

New to the ensemble was Norwegian saxophonist Trygve Seim, one of the most distinctive
voices in Scandinavian jazz. He is often described as the most important saxophonist
of the North since Jan Garbarek.

Seim’s playing perfectly reflected his calm, understated presence: captivatingly
gentle tones, long melodic phrases, and ample space for silence. His music lulled
you to sleep—as if you were wrapped in a thick fur on the terrace of a wooden house,
squinting at a sun-drenched, snow-covered Nordic landscape. In this ensemble, he
was given precisely the time his music needed.

![](https://i0.wp.com/www.jazzreportagen.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Seim_Randalu_Klampanis_Janke_3529_C_Rainer_Ortag.
jpg?w=640&ssl=1)

But the other musicians also used the space for extended solos. Particularly impressive
was Bodek Janke, who at times took his place in front of his percussion and opened
up additional tonal colors with his finely nuanced tabla playing.

The concert concluded with “Eberhard,” a composition by Lyle May. In this quartet’s
interpretation, the piece became a fitting homage to the great bassist—and a moving
end to a special evening.

**Larry Grenadier – bass – solo**
 **Kristjan Randalu – piano** **Trygve Seim – 
saxophone** **Petros Klampanis – bass** **Bodek Janke – drums**

![](https://i0.wp.com/www.jazzreportagen.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Seim_Randalu_Klampanis_Janke_3446_C_Rainer_Ortag.
jpg?w=640&ssl=1)

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