Henning Sieverts - Symmethree
Triple B
Buy / Listen
2020 / nwog 030
Line-Up:
Henning Sieverts
Nils Wogram
Ronny Graupe
Henning Sieverts, an acclaimed German composer, bass and cello player, is sending off his longstanding trio „Symmethree“ on a new journey through symmetric landscapes, together with interrnationaly renowned trombonist Nils Wogram and 7-string-guitarist Ronny Graupe,. After the highly successfull CDs „Symmethree“ (2012) and „Aerea“ (2018), „Henning Sieverts Symmethree“ takes a bow to the timeless art of Johann Sebastian Bach, with its third CD production „Triple B“.
Since Sieverts´ early childhood, Bach has been a constant companion, with church concerts, cantatas, passions and – above all – the six suites for violoncello solo. Obviously Sieverts is not the first (jazz) musician to deal with Bach but he is following an unusual, highly personal approach.
While Jacques Loussiers „Play Bach“ preserves the barock originals, only underlaying them with a swinging beat, Sieverts creates his own music using mainly Bach´s name: the four note motif B(b)-A-C-H which appears in various forms: melody, bass line, chords,etc.
Within the octave, the B(b)-A-C-H motif can be transposed two times: to D-C#-E-D# and to F#-F-G#-G. With these three four-tone-motifs, Sieverts gets a great variety of twelve tone rows –Triple B(ach) in deed!
In addition, „Triple B“ recalls, in an ironic sense, the language of rating agencies, grading the creditworthiness of states. While „Triple A“ means best mark, „Triple B“ is already junk level. What a promising grading!
Beside B(b)-A-C-H, Sieverts pays tribute to a few Bach masterpieces like the „Sarabande“ from the fifth suite for violoncello solo in c minor.
In general, Sieverts tries to transmit the „special mood“ of Bachs music into his own: not only Bachs clarity, swing and structuring but also his severity, and beyond all this remains pure beauty!
Henning Sieverts has toured worldwide and can be heard on more than130 CDs. His long list of awards includes the prestigious ECHO Jazz , the 1st prize” at the “International Society of Bassists” competition, as well as twice winning the New German Jazz Award.
With his masterful technique, trombonist Nils Wogram stands in the forefront of contemporary players. He won the ECHO Jazz and the Albert-Mangelsdorff-Award. A highly personal player on his 7-string guitar, Ronny Graupe has worked with the likes of Wanja Slavin, Christian Lillinger and Rolf Kühn
The unusual instrumentation of „Henning Sieverts Symmethree“ with trombone. guitar and bass/cello allows a delightful sound blending and constantly changing allocation of responsibilities between melody, harmony and bass function, a truly grass-roots inspired music making as Sieverts emphasizes: „We have been playing together since 2011, allowing a lot of time to grow together and to grow close.
Every single concert is an adventure of great fun, surprising both the audience and ourselves!“
