Frank Woeste - Pocket Rhapsody (2016)

Frank Woeste is not just an exceptionally fine pianist and a gifted exponent of the Fender Rhodes, he also has a thorough understanding of his own creative process. If all art is about leaving an impression, then Woeste's mission is to etch a deep mark both as a player and as a composer. His debut as an artist on ACT, then, not only reveals a musician brimming with ideas, but also a fully-fledged composer and an extremely adept arranger. His trio with guitarist Ben Monder and drummer Justin Brown creates a sound which is orchestral in its scale and its impact. The intimacy of chamber music goes hand in hand here with the forward propulsion of a jazz trio, and with the power of a big band. In other words, the title 'Pocket Rhapsody' gets it right. Woeste is not short of eminent companions for this voyage. Youn Sun Nah sings 'The Star Gazer' with the kind of captivating emotional intensity that might be expected of her. Ibrahim Maalouf contributes his incomparably expressive, orientaltinged trumpet lyricism to the glistening 'Moving Light' and to 'Nouakchott,' a magical and richly evocative whirring of warm air over the desert sand. The time has come for Frank Woeste to be re-discovered in Germany as a prodigal son, and to be recognized more widely as a prodigious talent.

Tracklist:

01. Terlingua (6:14)
02. Moving Light (5:59)
03. The Star Gazer (6:36)
04. Buzz Addict (6:44)
05. Interlude (2:00)
06. Pocket Rhapsody (8:13)
07. Intro Nouakchott (1:39)
08. Nouakchott (8:02)
09. Mirage (5:26)
10. Melancholia (3:47)

Personnel:

Frank Woeste - piano, Fender Rhodes, organ & bass synth
Ben Monder - guitar
Justin Brown - drums
guests:
Ibrahim Maalouf - trumpet (2, 8)
Youn Sun Nah - vocals (3)
Sarah Nemtanu - violin
Gregoire Korniluk - cello