Jermaine Landsberger was born 50 years ago in Vilsbiburg, Lower Bavaria, into a Sinti family. He also quickly showed an extraordinary musical talent, but not on one of the classic gypsy instruments, i.e. guitar, double bass or violin, but on the piano. He couldn’t ignore Django Reinhardt as his guiding star, but otherwise he oriented himself less to gypsy swing than to the piano heroes of modern jazz such as Oscar Peterson, Keith Jarrett or Herbie Hancock.
And so, over the years, he played a kind of mediating role. Between Manouche tradition and modern jazz. With the pendulum more on the side of the former in the early trios with Scottish jazz guitarist Martin Taylor, in collaborations with Stochelo Rosenberg, Giovanni Weiss and Sandro. Rather on the other hand in his performances with Biréli Lagrène and in his successful organ trio project Hammond Eggs, where big and pure jazz stars like Pat Martino, Randy Brecker, Bob Mintzer or Larry Coryell participated as guests.
The names became more prominent
You can see that the names Landsberger played with became more and more prominent. Randy Brecker even wrote him the liner notes for the new album (“one of the best jazz albums I’ve heard in a very long time”), which is a New York affair anyway. Before Corona, Landsberger had recruited his new trio there, with Darryl Hall on bass and Donald Edwards on drums. This is now the rhythm section for “With Heart And Soul”, joined by Marcel Loeffler on the accordion, Tony Lakatos on the saxophone and Axel Schlosser on the trumpet (and a terrific solo on “One For Miles”) as melody instruments. The title fits: Actually, for the first time, all the pieces – except for two by the inevitable Django Reinhardt – come from Landsberger’s own pen.
Of course, Landsberger cannot and does not want to deny his roots. All pieces have this typical harmonic care of gypsy jazz, and it’s very melodic and very swinging. Below that, however, Landsberger opens a wide showcase full of styles, tempos and moods. Even in the title track, which oscillates between bebop, keyboard artistry and cinematic ballad melt. As Randy Brecker says: “You have to check this out!” Also live in the underpass with Munich rhythm group and Gabor Bolla on saxophone.
Jermaine Landsberger: “With Heart And Soul”, GLM; live on Fri., Jan. 13, 8.30 p.m., Unterfahrt, Einsteinstr. 42