Joe Sample & NDR Big Band "Children of the Sun" live at JazzFest Berlin 2011

Jörg Achim Keller conductor, arrangements
Joe Sample compositions, piano
Thorsten Benkenstein, Ingolf Burkhardt, Claus Stötter, Reiner Winterschladen trumpet
Fiete Felsch, Peter Bolte alto sax
Christof Lauer, Lutz Büchner tenor sax
Frank Delle baritone sax
Nils Landgren trombone, vocals
Dan Gottshall, Klaus Heidenreich, Stefan Lottermann trombone
Ingo Lahme bass trombone
Stephan Diez guitar
Ingmar Heller bass
Robert Ikiz drums
Marcio Doctor percussion
recorded live at Haus der Berliner Festspiele, Main Stage, November 5, 2011

1. Buttermilk Sky
2. Islands Of The Mind
3. Rumfire
4. Gold In The Cane
5. I Believe In
6. Children Of The Sun
7. Blue Abyss
8. I Wanna Go Home
9. Street Life

With the Crusaders he became famous far beyond the jazz scene, his song Street Life was a massive international disco hit, and he has proved to be a reliable provider of chart-breaking material, like One Day I’ll Fly Away for Randy Crawford. He has recorded with a wide range of bands and musos, among them Canned Heat, Steely Dan, The Supremes, Miles Davis, Joni Mitchell and Eric Clapton.
Joe Sample is the golden boy of American fusion-jazz, but his recent project Children of the Sun is not as sunny as the title might imply. Stimulated by a visit to the Caribbean island of St. Croix, he started to look particularly into the subject of slavery – a part of his own family history.
Sample has been planning this project since 1995, and will bring his composition to the Berlin audience with the NDR Bigband (the Hamburg Radio Big Band), arranged by Jörg Achim Keller.
In 2005 Nils Landgren released Creole Love Call featuring Joe Sample.

hr Big Band feat. Vincent Herring, cond. by Jörg Achim Keller: The Blues And The Abstract Truth live at 42nd German Jazzfestival Frankfurt 2011

Vincent Herring | as, ss
Jörg Achim Keller | cond, arr
Frank Wellert, Martin Auer, Thomas Vogel, Axel Schlosser | tp
Günter Bollmann, Peter Feil, Christian Jaksjø | tb
Manfred Honetschläger | b-tb
Heinz-Dieter Sauerborn, Oliver Leicht | as
Ben Kraef, Karl-Martin Almqvist | ts; Rainer Heute | bs
Peter Reiter | p;  Martin Scales | g
Thomas Heidepriem | b; Jean Paul Höchstädter | dr
recorded live at HR-Sendesaal, Frankfurt, October 29, 2011

1. Stolen Moments (Oliver Nelson)
Soloists: Vincent Herring, as; Axel Schlosser, tp
2. Hoe-Down (Oliver Nelson)
Soloists: Martin Scales, gt; Jean Paul Höchstädter, dr; Vincent Herring, as
3. Cascades (Oliver Nelson)
Soloists: Karl Martin Almquvist, Heinz Dieter Sauerborn, Ben Kraef, ts; Peter Reiter, p
4. Yearnin' (Oliver Nelson)
Soloists: Vincent Hering, as; Günter Bollmann, tb; Axel Schlosser, tp
5. Butch and Butch (Oliver Nelson)
Soloists: Rainer Heute, bs; Peter Feil, tb; Vincent Herring, as
6. Teenie's Blues (Oliver Nelson)
Soloists: Vincent Herring, as; Thomas Heidepriem, b; Christian Jaksjø, tb; 

Manfred Honetschläger, b-tb; Frank Wellert, Thomas Vogel, tp
7. I Remember Bird (Leonard Feather, arr. Oliver Nelson)
Soloist: Vincent Herring, as

The Blues and the Abstract Truth is an album by Oliver Nelson recorded in February 1961. It remains Nelson's most acclaimed album. It features a lineup of notable musicians: Freddie Hubbard, Eric Dolphy (his last appearance on a Nelson album following a series of collaborations recorded for Prestige), Bill Evans (his only appearance with Nelson), Paul Chambers and Roy Haynes. Baritone saxophonist George Barrow does not take a solo but is a key feature of the subtle voicings of Nelson's arrangements.
The album is an exploration of the mood and structure of the blues, though only some of the tracks are in conventional 12-bar blues form. In this regard, though it is not modal jazz, it may be seen as a continuation of the trend towards greater harmonic simplicity and subtlety via reimagined versions of the blues that was instigated by Miles Davis's Kind of Blue in 1959 (Evans and Chambers played on both albums). Of the pieces on Nelson's album, "Stolen Moments" is the most famous; it is a sixteen-bar piece (in an eight-six-two pattern), though the solos are on a conventional 12-bar minor-key blues structure in C minor. "Hoe-Down" is built on a forty-four-bar structure (with thirty-two-bar solos based on "rhythm changes"). "Cascades" modifies the traditional 32-bar AABA form by using a 16-bar minor blues for the A section, stretching the form to a total of 56 bars. The B-side of the album contains three tracks that hew closer to 12-bar form: "Yearnin'", "Butch and Butch" and "Teenie's Blues".

NDR Big Band feat. João Bosco live in Sao Paolo 2007

João Bosco, vocals, guitar
Kiko Freitas, drums
NDR Big Band
Jörg- Achim Keller, cond
compositions by João Bosco
arrangements by Wolf Kerschek

recorded live at Sala Sao Paolo, May, 14, 2007

1. Incompatibilidade de Gênios
2. Quilombo Suite
Solo: Christof Lauer, ss
3. O ronco da cuica
Soloists: Nils Landgren, tb; Reiner Winterschladen, tp; Kiko Freitas, dr, Marcio Doctor, perc
4. Linha da passe
Solo: Sebastian Hoffmann, tb
5. O bêbado e a equilibrista

First discovered by Tom Jobim and Vinícius de Moraes, the brilliant composer/vocalist/guitarist Joao Bosco is one of the main figures of MPB (Música Popular Brasileira). His 2006 release Obrigada Gente! Ao Vivo (Universal Brazil) has sold over 100,000 copies in his homeland. In Europe he is one of the secret pearls of Brazilian singer-songwriter music still to be discovered by a larger audience. Admired as a versatile vocalist and a dynamic performer, Bosco has been noted for his singular fusion of Arab culture, Afro-American music and Brazilian styles bossa nova influenced by American jazz. "Senhoras Do Amazonas" is a studio album with Germany s NDR Big Band that stemmed from the joint Brazilian tour in 2007. 

NDR Big Band & Wolfgang Haffner: Homerun - The Best Of The Last 20 Years

 Photo © by: ACT / Steven Haberland

NDR Bigband
Trumpets: Thorsten Benkenstein, Ingolf Burkhardt, Claus Stötter, Reiner Winterschladen
Saxophones: Fiete Felsch, Peter Bolte, Christof Lauer, Lutz Büchner, Frank Delle
Trombones: Dan Gottshall, Klaus Heidenreich,  Stefan Lottermann, Ingo Lahme
Vladyslav Sendecki, piano; Stephan Diez, guitar; Ingmar Heller, bass; Marcio Doctor, percussion
Jörg Achim Keller, cond
Wolfgang Haffner, drums
recorded live at Studio 1, NDR Hamburg, June 2010

1. Homerun
Soloists: Frank Delle, bs; Dan Gottshall, tb; Wolfgang Hafner, dr
 2. Round Silence
Soloists: Peter Bolte, as; Stefan Lottermann, tb
3. The Real Thing
Soloists: Lutz Büchner, ts; Dan Gottshall, tb
4. Star
Soloists: Lutz Büchner, ts; Ingolf Burkhardt, tp; Wolfgang Hafner, dr
5. In The Space Between
Soloists: Fiete Felsch, flute; Klaus Heidenreich, tb; Wolfgang Hafner, dr; Marcio Doctor, percussion
6. Goodbye Again
Soloists: Vladyslav Sendecki, piano

Wolfgang Haffner has for years been regarded as Germany’s number one jazz drummer.
Haffner was born on December the 7th 1965 in Wunsiedel /Germany as the son of a church music director. From age 6 he had piano and drum lessons. When Haffner was 18, Germany’s most famous jazz musician Albert Mangelsdorff hired him into his band. Since then Wolfgang Haffner has been a member of Klaus Doldinger’s Passport (1989-2000), Joe Haider (1986-1994), Al Porcino (1985-1992) and US-superstar Chaka Kahn’s band (1994-1995). He has been a member of US-fusion band “Metro” (with Chuck Loeb, Mitch Forman and Victor Bailey) since 1994. From 1994-2004 he was drummer with the “Old Friends”, and he has been a member of Nils Landgren’s Funk Unit since 2002. Haffner also plays in trumpeter Till Brönner’s band. He has also produced albums for a number of artists. In 2004 he was responsible for the production of Iceland’s super band Mezzoforte’s CD “Forward Motion”. Countless tours have led him a few times around the world.
Having played several years with the NDR Big Band as the band´s regular drummer, he rejoined forces with his old friends for this retrospective featuring the best of his compositions rearranged for big band.
His latest album "Round Silence" was released on ACT.

NDR Bigband live in Krakau 2009 feat. Nils Landgren & João Bosco

NDR Bigband
Jörg Achim Keller, cond
Nils Landgren, tb, voc
Andy Pfeiler, guitar
James Genus, bass
Gary Husband, drums
recorded live at Krakau Opera, Krakau, Poland, July 16, 2009
*recorded live at Fabrik Hamburg, October 3, 2009

1. Hang Up Your Hang Ups (Herbie Hancock, arr. Jörg Achim Keller)
2. Sun Touch (Herbie Hancock, arr. Jörg Achim Keller)
3. Stars In Your Eyes (Herbie Hancock, arr. Jörg Achim Keller)
4. Fat Albert Rotunda (Herbie Hancock, arr. Stefan Pfeiffer)
5. Mr. M (Herbie Hancock, arr. Örjan Fahlström)
6. Ghost In This House (Herbie Hancock, arr. Vince Mendoza)
7. Red Horn (Nils Landgren, arr. Örjan Fahlström)*

João Bosco, guitar, vocals
NDR Big Band
Jörg Achim Keller, conductor
Wolf Kerschek, arrangements (1-4, 7,8)
Steve Gray, arrangements (5,6)
recorded live at Krakau Opera, Krakau/ Poland, July 17 and 18, 2009

1. Incompatibilidade de Gênios (João Bosco)
2. Caça à Raposa (João Bosco)
3. O ronco da cuica (João Bosco)
4. Coisa feita (João Bosco)
5. Desafinado (Antonio Carlos Jobim)
6. Nação (João Bosco)
7. Linha de passe (João Bosco)
8. O bêbado e a equilibrista (João Bosco)

One of the best albums in years from Joao Bosco is the studio album "Senhoras do Amazonas" – a wonderful European recording that has the soul and spirit of some of his greatest sessions from the 70s. Bosco's working here with the NDR Big Band – but in ways that aren't really just a straight mix of jazz and Brazilian modes – and instead, a style that really seeks out Bosco's best strengths first, then adds in some great flourishes from the larger ensemble – all in ways that propel his music with energy we haven't heard in many many years. João Bosco has been seeking ways to test his talent and find new dimensions for his composing, playing, and performance. This collaboration with the NDR Big Band presents a new facet of his music: Brazilian grooves enr...  more »iched by the powerful energy of one of the most creative big bands around. Core instrumentation is very Brazilian – acoustic guitar and percussion, mixed nicely with Joao's great vocals. The album was released 2010 on Yellowbird.

NDR Bigband feat. Jacky Terrasson ‘A Blue Note Tribute to Horace Silver’ live at Jazzfest Berlin 2009 - UPDATE

(Photo of Horace Silver © by Francis Wolff/Mosaic)

Jörg Achim Keller · leader
Jacky Terrasson · piano
Fiete Felsch, Peter Bolte · alto sax
Christof Lauer, Lutz Büchner · tenor sax
Frank Delle · baritone sax, clarinet, bass clarinet
Thorsten Benkenstein, Ingolf Burkhardt, Claus Stötter, Reiner Winterschladen · trumpet
Dan Gottshall, Klaus Heidenreich, Stefan Lottermann · trombone
Ingo Lahme · bass trombone
Ingmar Heller · bass; Ralph Salmins · drums

Recorded live at Haus der Berliner Festspiele, Große Bühne, Berlin, November 7, 2009

Tribute to Horace Silver Suite (arranged by Jörg Achim Keller)
1. Ecaroh (Silver)
2. Peace (Silver)
3. Filthy McNasty (Silver)
4. Lonely Woman (Silver)
5. Nutville (Silver)
6. Song for my father (Silver)

The list of jazz musicians who have been co-laborating with the NDR Bigband reads like an endless Who’s Who of Jazz.
This season’s special edition is dedicated to Blue Note recording artist, piano player Horace Silver. One of the original protagonists of hardbop and funk jazz and, together with Art Blakey, founder of the legendary Jazz Messengers he had one of the biggest popular successes of the jazz history with his composition Song For My Father in 1963. Since Silver’s high age and fragile health don’t allow stage appearances these days, his part is congenially covered by 43-year-old label mate Jacky Terrasson.

Till Brönner & NDR Bigband live in Lübeck 2009

Foto © Dieter & Robert Eikelpoth

Till Brönner, trumpet, vocals, keyboards
Jasper Soffers, piano
Dieter Ilg, bass
Wolfgang Haffner, drums
NDR Bigband
Jörg Achim Keller, conductor, arranger

Recorded live at Schleswig Holstein Musik Festival, Musik- und Kongresshalle Lübeck, August 28, 2009

1. 42nd & 6th (Till Brönner)
2. Café Com Pao
3. The Moment
4. A Distant Episode
5. No Breakfast
6. Your Way To Say Goodbye

My personal favorite Till Brönner album is "Blue Eyed Soul", released 2001 on Verve. A collaboration with Japanese DJ Samon Kawamura and soul vocalist Mark Murphy that embraced electronica idioms to update the trumpeter's sound into the postmodern era.