Dottendorfer Ortszentrum – 11.04.2025
As far as Jazz talent goes you couldn’t get more local to Dottendorfer Jazznacht than Julia Kriegsmann. She was raised in Friesdorf and noted at tonight’s show that her first ‘appearance’ overall was possibly at the nearby library as a child playing the part of a parrot. Today I am pleased to say she is playing her familiar Alt Saxophone and introducing her new CD ‘Dark Days & White Nights’ which reviewer Thomas Kölsch describes in ‘Jazzthetik’ as “The music of Bonn-born saxophonist Julia Kriegsmann thrives on contrasts: delicate stretches versus energetic high performance, contemporary improvisation versus traditional jazz. A production full of original sound colours between alto saxophone and the sound of the vibraphone”. Thomas usually gets his analysis spot on, and this was no exception as the evenings music proved.
I do find it a little disappointing that the usually packed hall was barely half full for a local artist. Familiarity breeding contempt maybe? The last time I remember seeing Julia was actually for free. She was part of a group called ‘Ton’ that were playing at Bonn Hauptbahnhof as part of the year’s JazzTube. This though was a very much musically matured Julia Kriegsmann who clearly knows what she wants from her music and has both the ability and fellow musicians to make it real.
The set tonight naturally leans heavily towards her release on the Jazzhaus Musik label, 2022’s ‘Dark Days & White Nights’, starting with ‘Stadtwald‘ and its plaintif, echoey alt sax tones. Ideal to warm up the lungs and the fingers. Conrad Noll’s contra bass soon joins in to be followed by Jeroen Truyen’s light touch on drums and a gentle counter melody from Carlotta Ribbe who is standing in at short notice (one rehearsal!) for Michael Knippschild on vibraphone. I’m not sure where the quirky ‘Troll 2’ composition has its inspirations. Either the 1990 cult horror flick or the more recent Netflix fantasy. It certainly provides a work out for Jeroen Truyen’s drumkit though before Kriegsmann’s catchy riff hooks the listener in. CD title track ‘Dark Days…’ on the other hand is all moody romantic, benefitting especially from Conrad Noll’s mournful bass. Time here also to say how well, and how confidently, Carlotta Ribbe’s vibraphone playing is – remarkable given the practice time.
So, as you might have noted from my review thus far, the full-band title ‘Julia Kriegsmann Quartet’ is a deserved one. Each musician brings their own talents to the table and each is given room to musically breathe. Interesting additions to the set are Thelonius Monk’s ‘Ask Me Now’ and Joe Jones’ ‘Blues for Bruce’ both given the warm sound-carpet, or, to quote Thomas Kölsch from his CD review, ‘sound colours’ that Kriegsmann’s choice of sax and vibraphone uniquely create.
Hopefully there will be enough readers and listeners discovering this local Jazz talent to make her next audience more appreciative in size next time around in Bonn.
