…So antwortete Raphael mir einmal auf meine Frage: „What’s next?“
und diese Antwort zeigt, so scheint mir besonders gut worum es bei Raphael Wressnigs Organ Sound geht: Fassettenreichtum!
2002 kommt sein Debut Album „Manic Organic“ auf den Markt und so arbeitet Raphael Wressnig mit vielen Größen der heimischen und internationalen Szene und zeigt, dass Hammond -Orgel nicht zwangsläufig ein Nischenprodukt sein muss. Seine Tourneen führen ihn durch die Südstaaten der USA, von Mexiko bis Dubai, von Istanbul bis Kopenhagen, von Moskau bis in die Karibik, von Nordafrika bis nach Wien und Paris.
Ein wichtiger Gefährte auf diesen Wegen ist dabei Alex Schultz. Aus dieser Zusammenarbeit resultieren zahlreiche Tourneen, einerseits als cooles Orgel-Trio, andererseits als druckvolle Blues-Combo im Verband mit dem legendären Blues-Sänger Finis Tasby aus Dallas/Texas, oder mit „R&B Explosion“ – einer „High Energy Combo“ mit dem heißesten Saxophonisten im Blues und R&B, Sax Gordon -. Aber auch mit dem vielfach ausgezeichneten Gitarristen Enrico Crivellaro kreiert er erstklassige Sounds. Live wie im Studio.
Trotzdem ist Raphael Wressnigs Musik (einerlei in welcher Formation) nicht in einem Genre verortet, sondern verführt immer wieder in neue Sphären. Von klassischem Root-Blues, über Soul bis hin zu mitreißendem Funk ist mit jeder Überraschung zu rechnen. Besonders live zeigt sich das Talent des Autodidakt-Musikers. Spontan, mit gekonnter Technik und einer hitzigen Performance verzaubert er das Publikum rund um den Globus. Wressnig modernisiert und entstaubt das oftmals unterschätze Terrain des Jazz/Blues/Soul/ etc. mit professioneller Leichtigkeit. Somit gelingt ihm woran viele scheitern, den „klassischen Genres“ einen zeitgemäßen Schliff zu verpassen… und das mit viel Persönlichkeit.
Raphael Wressnig & Soul Gumbo
feat.: Craig Handy, Johnny Vidacovich & Alex Schultz (A/USA)
Raphael Wressnig – Hammond B3 organ
Craig Handy – saxes, vocals
Alex Schultz – guitars
Johnny Vidacovich – drums, vocals
Kurz gesprochen: Wer Profession, Qualität und große Klänge mit Stil sucht findet in den Werken Wressnigs wonach ihm/ Ihr der Sinn steht.
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Raphael Wressnig is offering his „Soul Gumbo“ and his loyal partners, sax-extraordinaire Craig Handy and soulful guitarist Alex Schultz, as well as the master of New Orleans style drumming Johnny Vidacovich join forces to create a musical hybrid of jazz, R&B, soul and funk!
Gumbo is a traditional dish that originated in southern Louisiana. The dish combines ingredients and culinary practices of several cultures, including West African, French, Spanish, German, and Choctaw. Just like the cuisine, the music of New Orleans borrowed from different traditions and assumes different styles. It is usually regarded as birthplace of jazz, but it is also famous for its rock’n’roll or New Orleans funk or R&B. Both, Raphael Wressnig and Craig Handy have just recorded albums that have that funky edge and present the groovy amalgam of jazz and blues the „Big Easy“ is renowned for. Johnny Vidacovich is a veteran of New Orleans jazz and R&B and Alex Schultz has been a featured guitarist on some of the Crescent City based Black-Top Records releases. This fine quartet will spice it up, just like some Louisiana hot-sauce!
Raphael Wressnig, based in Austria but frequently on the road, is not your ordinary B-3 organ player. He’s actually one of a kind: a young master of the imposing, large instrument who is expansive in his breadth of expertise. He’s technically fluent in the blues, in jazz, in soul, and in funk, and he concocts exciting mixed-genre music from his fervid imagination. Influenced by royal predecessors like Jimmy Smith, Shirley Scott, Booker T. Jones and Joe Zawinul. This self-effacing musician, a native of Graz in southeast Austria, has recorded at least 17 feature albums and appeared as a guest on about 35 others. In Spring 2013, he was honored with a nomination for best organ player of the year in Downbeat Magazine. In January 2014 Wressnig has recorded his upcoming album at Music Shed Studios in New Orleans featuring Craig Handy, Alex Schultz, legendary bass-player George Porter Jr. (The Meters), piano-man and soulful troubadour Jon Cleary, R&B icon Walter „Wolfman“ Washington, Nigel Hall and one of the funkiest drummers around, Stanton Moore.
Craig Handy just released his album „2nd Line Smith“ on the venerated OKeh label, a division of Sony Masterworks. Handy draws from his fondness for the music of New Orleans, smack attached to the groove-filled re-imaginings of originals and standards by the late, great organist Jimmy Smith. Handy was born in Oakland, CA, but later moved to New York and began several associations with formidable artists including master drummers Art Blakey and Roy Haynes, South African melodist Abdullah Ibrahim, the Mingus Dynasty Band and was the featured soloist in the music theme for the „Bill Cosby Show“. He also relished musical range by performing with veteran vocalist bandleaders such as the iconic Betty Carter and later the irrepressible Dee Dee Bridgewater. Handy was also a convincing and telegenic actor in Robert Altman’s film Kansas City, portraying saxophonist Coleman Hawkins. He was part of the band “Chartbusters”, featuring alto saxophonist Donald Harrison, organist Dr. Lonnie Smith and drummer Idris Muhammad. Handy toured or recorded with Herbie Hancock, Cedar Walton, Elvin Jones, Joe Henderson, George Adams, Freddie Hubbard, Wynton Marsalis, John Scofield, Charles Tolliver, the John Hicks Legacy Band, Kirk Lightsey, the Jazz At Lincoln Center Orchestra and most notably „The Cookers“ – a collective of stalwart leaders renowned for playing that simmers or surges to a boiling point – with brethren Billy Harper, George Cables, Eddie Henderson, Billy Hart, Cecil McBee, and David Weiss.
Drawing on the musical heritage of New Orleans, Johnny Vidacovich has become one of the best drummers in a city known for its drummers. Born and bred in New Orleans, Vidacovich has the city’s unique, syncopated backbeat running in his veins. Many outsiders have sought to imitate that sound which comes so naturally to those who grew up exposed to the Big Easy’s street music traditions. One can hear the beat of the street in multifarious places, from the music of the Mardi Gras Indians to the Neville Brothers to Vidacovich himself. He is the quintessential New Orleans jazz drummer, with all the exuberance and skill befitting one who grew up in the birthplace of jazz. Since starting to play the drums at the age of ten, performing has been the passion of Johnny Vidacovich. From French Quarter clubs to the big stages, he has shared his talents with greats like New Orleans‘ „Tan Canary“ Johnny Adams, Professor Longhair, James Booker, Dr. John Charles Neville, Harry Connick and Mose Allison as well as many jazz and blues icons such as John Scofield, Rick Margitza, Willy DeVille and many others. He was leading „Astral Project“, the seminal New Orleans contemporary jazz group.
Alex Schultz belongs to the first-tier of American blues guitarists, possessing a natural affinity for jazz, funk, soul, r&b and gospel. Schultz has family roots in New Orleans but he was born in NYC, schooled at Berklee and moved to L.A. in 1979. He became one of the icons of West-Coast Blues. He has toured and recorded with Rod Piazza and William Clarke, Lester Butler, Hank Ballard and many more. Schultz worked with Jimmy Rogers, Lowell Fulson, Louis Myers, Pinetop Perkins, James Cotton, Robert Ward, Earl King, Snooks Eaglin, Albert Collins, Larry Davis, etc. and supported the likes of Albert King, BB King, Al Green, Robert Cray, Dr. John, The Neville Bros., The Allman Bros. and more. In 2004 Schultz released his solo album “Think About It” that features Finis Tasby, Tad Robinson and Lynwood Slim. Lately Alex Schultz did a lot of freelance work with Rod Piazza & The Mighty Flyers, Big Pete and Raphael Wressnig. The team of Wressnig and Schultz blends blues with jazz, soul and funk in a tasteful way. They recorded two albums together „(Don’t Be) Afraid To Groove“ and „Soul Gift“ featuring Deitra Farr, Tad Robinson, Kirk Fletcher, „Sax“ Gordon.