Petzold/Kirberg/Imhorst

Matthias Petzold (saxophones, cello) Nils Imhorst (double bass) Thiemo Kirberg (guitar)

The music of the trio Petzold/Kirberg/Imhorst can be called church music in a wider sense. Played as a kind of chanber music and without electronical effects, the music fits easily into the special conditions and acoustics of churches. The selection of pieces has two different main areas, that each show in a distinct way the connection between improvised Jazz music and christian spirituality.

 Franziskusinventionen (Inventions dedicated to St. Francis)

The “Franziskusinventionen” are a series of compositions, in which the composer Matthias Petzold refers to stories from the life of St. Francis of Assisi. Each composition is connected to a text, that presents the story. The composition doesn´t try to retell the story with musical means, as a kind of program music, but tries to catch the specific mood, rhythm or, as St. Francis might have called it: the ”scent” of the incident, and brings it to sound as a whole. There are composition titles like: “Portiuncula - the Spirit of Beginning”, “San Damiano - Build up what is falling into Ruins”, “Bird Sermon”.

The personal connection from the composer to this subject comes from his membership in the third order (lay community) of the franciscan family. For him, the creativity and spontneity, that comes from St. Francis has a special connection to an improvised music, as it happens in Jazz.

In October 2003, the pieces have been recorded, and published on CD (Indigo-Records 1006 CD)

Come Sunday - Spiritual Music in Jazz

The second group of pieces brings to mind, that Jazz has some of its roots in christian music, the Gospel songs of the black communities in North America. Important Jazz musicians like Duke Ellington or Charles Mingus were very aware of this source and used it extensively, so creating spiritual compositians of timeless beauty. When in the 60s the horizon of Jazz musicians widened towards the musical cultures of Asia and Africa, there were new spiritual influences, as can be found for example in “A Love Supreme” by John Coltrane.

Ptzold/Kirberg/Imhorst don´t change those compositions, but tries to play them out of the spirit of the composers. The musicians bring to live an important part of Jazz history as well as of church history, and so give impulses for the cultural situation of church in Germany today.

The current concert dates you find at  “Recent Projects”

Soundfiles:

 Franz und Klara - Zwei Linien           Alverna

  Il Canto di Sole                      

Reviews:

“Against all expectations, the music was not quiet and meditative, a light swing flowed through the hall, when the trio began to play... A multicoloured spectrum, in which the musicians never lost the relation to the mainstream of jazz.”
(Kölnische Rundschau)

“The serene and cheerful sounds expressed the poor but spiritually rich life of the founder of the franciscan order. Impressing was the spontaneous interplay between the musicians.” (Kölner Stadtanzeiger)

“About hundret listeners changed the soft television armchair with the hard church benches, to be taken by Matthias Petzold, Thiemo Kirberg and Nils Imhorst on a trip into the exciting world of Jazz. Compositions of Petzold alternated with well known pieces, that were played in a fresh manner. The audience enjoyed impressionistc harmonies by Duke Ellington and freer sounds of Charles Mingus. After this evening there are surely some more Jazz fans on the world.” (Tageszeitung Ahaus)

The Musicians:

Matthias Petzold - look here

Thiemo Kirberg studied Jazz guitar at the music universities of Arnheim/Netherlands and of Cologne. He plays in various Bands in the area of Jazz, Klezmer and comedy. He developed a Solo program with his owm compositions an leads a trio. In 2003 he recorded the CD “Summer Me”.

Nils Imhorst studied at the Jazz department of the Folkwanghochschule in Essen (Ruhr region).He plays in various Bands in the Rhine and Ruhr region, and toured with different Bands in Europe, Middle America; and the USA. He played at a lot of broadcasting- and CD-productions, his last CD being “Konzert für Amor” with the slowakian singer and actress Olinka Orphea.

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