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| Philip Weberndoerfer - Tides feat Dayna Stephens (Shifting Paradigm Records) Philip Weberndoerfer Tides Label: Shifting Paradigm Records Street Date: August 23rd, 2024 Add Date: August 19, 2024 Philip Weberndoerfer - guitar Richard Mikel - bass Peter Traunmueller -drums Dayna Stephens - saxophones (tracks 2, 3, 5, 7, 8) On his album "Tides, " Philip Weberndoerfer displays a knack for inventive song structures and a strong sense of melody. With a pure tone, lyrical lines, and mature chord work he adroitly navigates the harmonies he sets out for himself. An expert rhythm section and the always excellent Dayna Stephens help bring his vision to life. - Ben Monder TIDES is a sonic portrayal of the human condition with its highs and lows. It captures the feeling of being at the mercy of a strong current, seeking to find trust deep within oneself that this current is a benevolent force that eventually is going to carry us to safe shores. Every now and then, life can be like the receding tide that rips away from us what doesn't have roots strong enough to endure. On the other side, the waves of the rising tide carry with them new chances, relationships and opportunities to grow. This collection of songs is an authentic NYC project with artists from across the East River. The musicians in this band found together as friends with the mission to preserve a childlike innocence and curiosity towards exploring music - to develop a sound cultivated by taking time, against the stream of our fast-paced environment, and shaped by the expressive force of the New York Jazz community along with the vivid nightlife throughout the city. In pursuit of this musical journey, guitarist Philip Weberndoerfer created a soulful body of compositions that drift between melancholy, lightheartedness and fervor. Augmented by the empathetic musicianship and congenial support of bassist Richard Mikel and drummer Peter Traunmueller, the trio crossed paths with kindred spirit Dayna Stephens, whose artistic prowess and unique voice on the saxophone complemented the vision. The result of this collaboration is an imaginative album that celebrates space and openness, an apparent familiarity amongst the musicians, and a bold approach towards interplay that ebbs and flows while at the same time leaving room for each individual voice to breathe. German native Philip Weberndoerfer is a guitarist and composer, who has been portrayed as a resourceful visionary with a highly expressive yet sensitive and intricate voice on the instrument.Inspired by European Classical as well as Gypsy Music and with a profound love for the American Songbook, his compositions resemble a deep exploration of colorful soundscapes without stylistic boundaries. Drawing upon a passion for fragile harmonic structures, the sound of his ensemble is also characterized by the give and take between chordal complexity and the beautiful simplicity of soulful melodies. Since his arrival to New York in 2016, Philip has steadily been contributing to the jazz scene as a bandleader and sideman. He has performed at esteemed music venues all across the city, including Blue Note, Cornelia Street Cafe, Club Bonafide, Rockwood Music Hall, The Atlantic, LIC Culture Lab, Chelsea Table&Stage, City Vineyard "Voices on the Hudson, " Cafe Bohemia, German Consulate General NYC and more. He also had the honor of representing Germany at the "Blue Note Jazz Festival" in collaboration with the Consulate General of Germany. Growing up in the countryside of Bavaria, Philip's life took an unexpected turn when he barely survived a traffic accident at the age of seven, in which he got hit by a truck. From the collision he suffered severe head injuries which restrained him from many regular activities, one would consider prevalent for a young kid's upbringing. Needing to avoid any endeavors which could cause another trauma to the head, Philip stopped playing soccer and swimming classes and picked up the guitar, which opened up the gateway to music and should deeply impact his future path ahead. Philip began playing the classical guitar and went on to study jazz with leading German guitarists Helmut Kagerer and Paulo Morello. He graduated with an Artistic Diploma, a Diploma for Music Pedagogy and a Master's Degree from the University of Music at Nuremberg. In addition, he studied in various masterclasses with Pat Martino, Peter Bernstein, Ben Monder, Jack Willkins, Paul Bollenback, Jesse Van Ruller, Karl Ratzer, Jovinho Santos Neto, Dick Oatts, Aaron Goldberg, Bob Mintzer, Kenny Werner and many more. At age 26, Philip accepted a teaching position for jazz and popular guitar at the University of Music of Nuremberg. In 2013, another occurrence regarding his head revealed a path Philip didn't necessarily expect. As an aftereffect of the accident, an annual exam revealed shadows in the frontal sinuses of his head which demanded invasive procedures. However, on the day of the surgery, the last routine inspection showed that the shadows miraculously had vanished. Having already taken the time from teaching and gigging, Philip decided to utilize that open window to catch up on a long-term dream and booked the next flight to NYC.There he had the opportunity to meet guitar legend Pat Martino, who had a multiple day residency at Birdland at the time. In a long gathering at the Ameritania Hotel, they played plenty of guitar and connected in discussions about music, health and the importance of nutrition in regard to head trauma. Pat was also one of the people who encouraged Philip to make the move across the ocean and come to New York. "You got to try!", he said. Following those words, Philip quit his job at university and left behind his comfortable situation with regular engagements at local theaters, renowned orchestras and his own ensembles to take a leap of faith and dive headfirst into the competitive jazz scene of New York City, on a mere tourist visa. By persistently hitting the sessions till 4am in the morning and with the support of established musicians in the scene, Philip got his O1 - Artist Visa approved after only three months of being in the city. He and his trio became semifinalists at the "Wes Montgomery International Jazz Guitar Competition" in 2015. The jury consisted of jazz guitarist Pat Martino, journalist Bill Milkowski, WBGO Radio music director Gary Walker and jazz producer/historian Todd Barkan. Additional judges included Robert Montgomery, son of Wes Montgomery, and George Klabin, founder of Rising Jazz Stars/Resonance Records. Philip collaborated and shared the stage with both acclaimed and up-and-coming artists such as Onaje Allan Gumbs, Chuck Mc Pherson, Don Hanson, Alexander Claffy, Adam Arruda, Nick Brust, Nick Biello, Joe Pino, Peter Di Carlo, Darryl Yokley, John Davis, Dominic Duval and Kaisa Mäensivu, to name a few. He has toured Europe extensively with his own projects and has participated in theater productions and musicals for the Landestheater Coburg and the Nuremberg Opera House. Moreover, he performed with chamber music ensembles of the Bamberg Philharmonic and the Radio Symphony Orchestra of Bavaria. Players: Instrument Philip Weberndoerfer - guitar Richard Mikel - bass Peter Traunmueller -drums Dayna Stephens - saxophones (tracks 2, 3, 5, 7, 8) TRACKS, TIMES: 1. Little B's Poem - 5:36 2. Low Gravity - 9:04 3. Peace Of Constance - 7:07 4. My Ideal - 8:37 5. Salted Sweets - 8:46 6. Suspense And Certainty - 5:04 7. Simple Task - 7:05 8. The Gypsy - 5:17 9. One Of These Days - 4:20 CREDITS: All compositions Philip Weberndoerfer, except #1 Little B's Poem (Bobby Hutcherson) and #4 My Ideal (Richard A. Whiting, Newell Chase, Leo Robin ) Artist: Philip Weberndoerfer Album: Tides Label: Shifting Paradigm Records Street Date: August 23rd, 2024 Add Date: August 19, 2024 Artist Website: weberndoerfer.com < write your comments about the article :: © 2024 Jazz News :: home page |