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.
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.
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.
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
