HenschkeSchlott
- Cafe Thiossane
HenschkeSchlott
is a project of the jazz musicians Volker Schlott and Reinmar
Henschke. They are performing together since 1999 and
"Cafe Thiossane" is the debut album of this collaboration.
Volker Schlott is playing saxophone and flute, Reinmar Henschke
piano and keyboards. Both are also experts in electronic music. It's
not easy classifying their music into a special genre. They are
performing a mixture of new age, lounge, electronica and smooth
jazz.
Warm Night in Victoria Park
starts like a new age tune with a strange electronic soundscape but
soon one recognizes a rhythm structure which gets more and more
contour. Embedded in between this tune Volker Schlott's develops his
jazz improvisation on a grooving beat.
On Part
I Volker Schlott showcases his creativity on saxophone.
Somehow his play is fading and foggy. Don't compare him with sax
player like Eric Marienthal, Richard Elliot, Kim Waters or Warren
Hill. You will miss the energy. He plays the sax subdued. The instrument isn't the center but only used as a stepping-stone.
Creating atmosphere is more important than impressing the audience
by prowess.
Beginning with
a classical piano motive soon a strong beat is dominating Island.
The piano is now playing contrapuntal and additively to this beat.
Schlott is painting own colors with his alto sax while the gloomy
beat is peppered with some handclapping and darkened with a bass.
French
Pool is a reminiscence to a French café perhaps in
Paris. A time of relaxing during a billiard play. It's reminds at a
movie score of a film noire during the time of Humphrey Bogart.
Good
Thing is a mellow slowtempo duet of piano and sax.
More groove is
to find on Wah Wah Waltz. Based
on a simple rhythm Schlott and Henschke are creating an intriguing
and accessible melody.
Part
II can be divided in a more atmospheric and a more
grooving section. Personally I prefer the second more jazzy part.
The interlude Ca
Va Bien is a picturesque crescendo to the following tune.
The title tune Cafe
Thiossane has some influences of world music. Karimba,
African flair and a grooving computer programmed rhythm combined
with the ease of a flute are rising your mood.
The title Mamba
Verte is a further contemplative interlude.
Brazilian music
is very popular in the German chill out scene. So Schlott and
Henschke are presenting their version of a Samba
K2. Schlott's flute is a mixture of snake-charming and
dancefloor beat. Very attractive Henschke's piano improvisation with
some salsa intrusion.
Good
Thing II, is the vocal version of the above mentioned
tune featuring jazz singer Pascal von
Wroblewsky.
"If You feel
exhausted after finishing your daily musical work, don't go pushing
yourself further. Better to rest than to work without fun and
delight." This device of Robert Schumann is cited by Schlott
and Henschke and influencing the album. Their moody attitude is
relaxing and unobtrusive.
