Showing posts with label Nils Gessinger. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Nils Gessinger. Show all posts

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Nils Gessinger - Ducks'N'Cookies

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1995
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 73:13
Size: 167,9 MB
Art: Front + Back

(4:35)  1. Ducks`N`Cookies
(4:55)  2. Angel
(6:34)  3. Late Nite
(3:25)  4. Mind Overload
(6:27)  5. Nighttalk
(4:40)  6. Pem Pem
(5:08)  7. Central Park
(4:39)  8. Casacajun Girl
(5:26)  9. Smoothin´
(5:49) 10. Nilas
(6:05) 11. Afif
(4:45) 12. Bobo´s Blues
(6:06) 13. Almost Seven
(4:32) 14. Friends & Gloves

In the 1990s, smooth jazz was the whipping boy of the jazz world everyone from hard boppers to Dixieland revivalists to fusion guitarists railed against the schlock that filled NAC play lists. And their anger was often justifiable; elevator versions of Michael Bolton hits shouldn't be described as jazz. However, commercial pop-jazz doesn't have to be bloodless elevator Muzak, and the German keyboardist/organist Nils Gessinger was obviously well-aware of that fact when he recorded 1995's Ducks 'N' Cookies for GRP. Make no mistake: Ducks 'N' Cookies is commercial music. The pop-jazz instrumentals that dominate the CD are meant to be accessible and groove-oriented, and when Gessinger features a vocalist on occasion, he tends to favor soul-influenced pop/rock melodies along the lines of Steely Dan (but minus the cryptic, abstract lyrics that Walter Becker and Donald Fagen were known for). In fact, Ducks 'N' Cookies often sounds like it could have been recorded in the late '70s or early '80s instead of 1995  the CD recalls a time when artists like David Sanborn, the Crusaders, Ronnie Laws, and the late Grover Washington, Jr. were providing commercial pop-jazz that had some meat on its bones. Not a masterpiece but generally respectable, Ducks 'N' Cookies could easily be described as "smooth jazz with a difference." ~ Alex Hernderson   http://www.allmusic.com/album/ducks-n-cookies-mw0000646773.

Personnel Billy King – vocals, Nils Gessinger - piano, Hammond B-3 organ, Fender Rhodes

Friday, March 14, 2014

Nils Gessinger - Jam It Up

Styles: Jazz Funk
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 78:25
Size: 180,0 MB
Art: Front

(5:04)  1. Jam It Up
(5:46)  2. Say It's Forever
(5:10)  3. Let Loose
(4:02)  4. Mr. Wong
(5:04)  5. Soulmusic
(5:31)  6. Cozumel
(6:01)  7. Eusegne
(4:23)  8. Clalsa
(4:58)  9. Baldo
(4:15) 10. Bilma
(5:13) 11. Gran Dunes
(5:49) 12. I'd Be There
(5:03) 13. 13or3to7
(5:56) 14. Struttin'
(3:57) 15. Honking Eddie
(2:05) 16. Jam It Up Reprise

It´s been 39 years since nine year old Nils Gessinger amazed a crowd of 400 guests with his piano playing. Today the 12-piece Nils Gessinger Band fills the halls of international jazz festivals, not only charming the listeners´ ears, but also having a hit with "Angel" in indonesian radio charts. For such a career you need luck, but with no doubt it didn´t happen accidentally: having his first classical lessons through his grandfather, found the love for the "blue notes" at the jazz club of his parents, and got in touch with black funk&soul in the disco of his brother. With such a variety of experiences taken at southern german bands he studied "Jazz&Classics" at the university of music Hamburg (Prof. Dr. Dieter Glawischnig). At that time the passionate motorcyclist established himself in the Hamburg music scene. Dee Dee Bridgewater, Inga Rumpf, the Platters, Georg Danzer, Patti LaBelle or the Three Degrees appreciate his virtuosity and his musical sensitivity, the NDR BigBand (North German RadioBigBand) hired him for many studio- and live productions. Meanwhile he is conductor and leader of Jazzessence, the state youth jazz orchestra of Hamburg, having recorded 4 CD´s (amongst others with Bob Mintzer and Herb Geller).

1995 Nils produced the not only in professional circles highly acclaimed first CD "Ducks´n´Cookies". With a total of 28 musicians (with guests such as Inga Rumpf, Bridget Fogle, Peter Weniger, Billy King or Herb Geller) 14 Funk-, Soul-, Latin- and Fusion original compositions were mixed in Dolby Surround. About the recording contract with US-label GRP people tell of the story of Tommi LiPuma, legendary producer of Miles Davis, Al Jarreau, Randy Crawford or David Sanborn, who at a visit in Germany heard a tape of Nils Gessinger and signed him immediately and so far as first european artist. The international success of the album led to invitations at big jazz festivals. Juli 1995 he was opening for George Benson at Westport-Festival Hamburg, november 1995 he was sharing the stage with Spyro Gyra .

1996 the pianist, arranger and composer had enough material to produce his second CD "Scratch Blue". 41 musicians, with guitar legend Robben Ford (Miles Davis, Yellowjackets) and trombone player Nils Landgren to name just a few, played a mixture of vocal- and instrumental tunes resulting invitations to international festivals like North Sea Jazz Festival 1996 at The Hague.

1997 ARD (major german TV-station) taped a 60 minute live performance "Ohne Filter Extra" with Robben Ford as special guest. Nils has written 16 new titels for his third album "Jam it up!" being produced in Los Angeles and Hamburg, Germany, featuring Dave Weckl (Chick Corea) on drums, Peter Weniger (Lionel Richie) on sax and Joe Gallardo (Stan Kenton Big Band) on trombone amongst others as special guests. It´s been released may 2003 in Hamburg, Germany.

2006 Nils recorded in Los Angeles 13 tracks for his next CD "Burning" featuring world class drummerlegend Vinnie Colaiuta (Sting, Frank Zappa) und Jaco Pastorius buddy Jürgen Attig on bass as well as Peter Weniger (sax / Lionel Ritchie) and Joe Gallardo (trombone - Stan Kenton).

2011 a new CD entitled "Pass-ion" has been produced, this time in New York City with guest stars like Grammy winner Will Lee (Bass - Brecker Bros., David Letterman Show), John Tropea (Guitar) and Rocky Bryant (Drums - Frank McComb, Average White Band).  http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/nils

Credits:
Bass – Achim Rafain (tracks: 2), Jürgen Attig (tracks: 1, 3 to 16)
Drums – Christoph Buhse (tracks: 9, 11, 14, 15), Dave Weckl (tracks: 1, 3, 4, 5, 8, 13, 16), Eckhard Stromer (tracks: 10), Heinz Lichius (tracks: 7), Roman Storch (tracks: 2, 6, 12)
Electric Piano [Fender Rhodes], Organ, Clavinet, Piano, Percussion, Producer, Arranged By [Rhythm & Horns], Composed By, Mixed By – Nils Gessinger
Engineer – Dennis Moody
Engineer, Mixed By, Mastered By – Jan Kirchner
Guitar – Reiner Damisch* (tracks: 1), Roland Cabezas (tracks: 2, 4, 6 to 8, 10 to 13), Rüdiger Nass (tracks: 3, 5, 15), Uli Kringler (tracks: 9, 14)
Lead Guitar – Frank Nimsgern (tracks: 13, 16)
Percussion – Pablo Escayola (tracks: 1 to 16)
Percussion [Mouth] – Christian von Richthofen (tracks: 5)
Saxophone [Alto & Tenor] – Lutz Büchner (tracks: 1, 3 to 16)
Saxophone [Baritone] – Tini Thomsen* (tracks: 9, 10)
Saxophone [Baritone], Flute – Edgar Herzog (tracks: 1 to 8, 11 to 16)
Saxophone [Soprano] – Peter Weniger (tracks: 3, 7)
Saxophone [Tenor] – Andreas Böther (tracks: 2, 9, 10), Frank Delle (tracks: 6, 11, 12, 14)
Trombone – Chris Fidler (tracks: 11, 12, 15), Joe Gallardo (tracks: 1, 6, 10, 14), Jon Welch (tracks: 1 to 5, 7 to 9, 13, 16)
Trumpet – Dirk Lentschat (tracks: 15), Michael Leuschner (tracks: 6, 10 to 12, 14), Thorsten Benckenstein (tracks: 1, 3 to 5, 7 to 9, 13, 16)
Vocals – Bridget Fogle (tracks: 5), Katja Berg (tracks: 5), Marion Schwaiger (tracks: 5), Nathalie Dorra (tracks: 5), Previn Moore (tracks: 5), Roger Cicero (tracks: 5), Stevie Woods (tracks: 5)