“The album was something special for me and for all of us” says Daniel Gall aka San2: “The Groundlift Stories” is the name of the new work by the 44-year-old, named after the place where it happened, the production studio in the old brewery in Stegen. An atmospheric space, in which a manageable audience fits and where concerts also take place, but which is also equipped with the (audio and video) technology of a recording studio. Ideal for a “Living Room Concert”, a kind of hybrid of studio session and live concert, “unplugged” in a quartet with the two guitarists Sebastian Schwarzenberger and Louis Thomass as well as the keyboardist Ludwig Seuss, completely without bass and drums.
For San2 it’s sort of the middle ground. He used to be into massive shows and opulent productions. His two pre-Corona albums “Hold On” and “The Rescue” were created in collaboration with Geoff Gascoyne, the former arranger and bassist of Jamie Cullum (who just recently accompanied four star trumpeters on bass at the “trumpet summit” of Jazzwoche Burghausen). In addition to a complete electric band, there was also a wind ensemble and background singers at the start. During the compulsory Corona break, “The Rooftop Stories” were created from the streaming performances, which he usually staged in a duo with his long-time companion Sebastian Schwarzenberger and guests on his garage roof.
So now the little cutlery is used. The blues part increases accordingly, which is already clear from the beginning with the mix of “Got My Mojo Working” and “Big Boss Man”. Classics like WC Handys “Pallet On The Floor” or Fats Dominos “Hello Josephine”. Or the ballad “When The Moon Is Full Again”, which colleagues Ludwig Seuss and Dr. Will have written and which is one of the album highlights.
Of course, soul and songwriter-pop, vocally San2’s real domain, don’t miss out, with their own songs like “Cruisin’ In My Car”, Joni Mitchell’s “Big Yellow Taxi” or Carol King’s “You’ve Got A Friend”. ” in one of the most gorgeous versions ever delivered by a male voice. And there’s also something for gospel fans, if only because of the band’s excellent polyphonic vocal writing and the finale with “When The Saints Go Marchin’ In”.
It’s all played superbly once again, garnished with virtuoso blues harp interludes and a few jokes by the wily entertainer San2. The album is also visually convincing with its pastel-colored retro look, after all San2 is also a graphic designer. Last but not least, the audience in the Groundlift Studio was vocally upbeat. Definitely a benchmark for visitors to the comedy housewhere San2 presents the album now.
San2 & His Soul Patrol: “The Groundlift Stories”, Capriola/Blanko Music/Sony; live on Thursday, March 30, 8 p.m., Lustspielhaus, Occamstraße 8, www.lustspielhaus.de