Schneeberger & Bakanic Quartett - AVANTI AVANTI
Two virtuosos fuse their creative powers: the Gypsy jazz guitarist Diknu Schneeberger and the stylistic jack-of-all-trades on accordion, Christian Bakanic. Firmly anchored in the international music scene, they embark together on a new path characterized by technical excellence and musical ingenuity. Categorization: impossible! They conjure independent sound worlds in the tension between swinging Gypsy jazz, fiery Balkan groove, lyrical melodies, and chamber music compositions, brought to life through improvisational spontaneity.
Their joint debut album is titled "Avanti, avanti" – Italian for "Let's go, forward." It is synonymous with the purposeful collaboration of Schneeberger and Bakanic, supported by Martin Heinzle on double bass and Julian Wohlmuth on rhythm guitar. The title piece "Avanti, Avanti" opens the album: a brisk polka ride with galloping solos, with which the musicians set sail for new shores. At the same time, it is an invitation to the audience to explore the new, eventful paths of Bakanic and Schneeberger and to listen to their exciting and touching stories.
In total, there are ten pieces – five by Bakanic, five by Schneeberger – that are united on this album and tell of enlightening moments, personal roots, and distant adventures. There is Spanish local color with hints of South American tango in Schneeberger's "Abundancia". Elegiac tones dominate Bakanic's "River Tales". Here, genuine Austrian folk music also shines through – not least because of the instrument Bakanic plays: the Styrian harmonica.
"This is my first instrument; I actually come from folk music," Bakanic explains. "There has been a lot of development in instrument making. The sound of the Styrian is no longer so coarse, but still so special and immediate that it goes straight to the heart." Not only "River Tales," but also Bakanic's compositions "Avanti, Avanti" and especially "Pannonia" are shaped by the sound of this diatonic instrument. "In that piece, I describe the landscape from which I come," says the South Burgenlander. "The foothills of the Alps, then you can see from the hill where I grew up, the Pannonian plain all the way to Hungary. And I think it has a special atmosphere that, as I believe, the song captures quite well: warm chords, warm summer, a little bit of the coolness of the Alps still in the back – that is Pannonia for me."
Regarding looking at one's own roots, there is also a correspondence in Diknu Schneeberger's compositions: "Swing de Vienne." Here, the music-traditional origins of the guitarist are revealed. Schneeberger, who comes from a Sinti family, spins an improvised melody from the forefather of Gypsy jazz and also a fellow Sinti folk group member Django Reinhardt. The cheerful piece has been written by Schneeberger some time ago together with his former guitar teacher, mentor, and rhythm guitarist. Schneeberger has infused the composition with a new swing feeling, in the truest sense bringing new momentum that leads to an animated musical dialogue between Schneeberger and Bakanic.
Such dialogues can only succeed with an experienced rhythm group, which is also characterized by excellence in this quartet: with Julian Wohlmuth, an accomplished rhythm guitarist provides a varied and sophisticated accompaniment. The double bassist Martin Heinzle, trained in both jazz and classical music, delivers a groovy foundation and occasionally even picks up the bow. "I rely heavily on them," affirms Diknu Schneeberger, "We are a band, no one is interchangeable. Martin and Julian are full members and contribute just as much to the arrangements and album production." With the Eastern European-referencing piece "Vatra," which means "fire," the four musicians bring the mood to such a boil that even Heinzle steps out of the rhythm group for a moment. While Bakanic transforms the accordion into a percussion instrument, Heinzle provides additional fuel with a trembling solo that further ignites the unbridled enthusiasm of the four musicians.
Things also heat up in Schneeberger's piece "Herz entflammt." With a funky riff and backbeat, he expresses in the composition the feeling that overwhelmed him at the birth of his son: "My heart felt as if I were a child again, that freshness, that source of life, that innocence." Two more pieces are dedicated to the next generation: Bakanic has written "Valse pour Louise" for his daughter. The Musette waltz is characterized by a loving melody that evokes a good portion of "Joie de vivre," the proverbial French zest for life. In "Yuna," Schneeberger processes a melodic idea that came to him while singing his daughter to sleep in his arms. Enviable is anyone who gets to fall asleep to such an elegant melody in a swaying rumba rhythm!
The diverse compositions of Schneeberger and Bakanic are based on a consistently nuanced, balanced sound: a pronounced sense of phrasing, finely tuned registrations for the string instruments chosen by Bakanic on the accordion; playful ornaments, bright and precisely placed harmonics, and singing blue notes from Schneeberger – all of this makes the Schneeberger & Bakanic Quartet and their debut album unique. The uplifting effect that unfolds in the compositions is almost unparalleled, and the dramaturgy of the album program is thoughtfully crafted. At the end of the album "Avanti, Avanti," tranquility returns with Schneeberger's "Lotusblatt," allowing the soul to relax once again.
Entrance: 4:15 PM
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