Description
Delicate, artistically captivating sounds meet the expansive power of Baroque-inspired sonorities - it is a rendezvous between two masters, where the spark is unmistakably audible. Saxophonist Peter Materna and pianist Jasper van't Hof come together to create a dialogue entitled Skyline, filled with passion, inspiration and enthusiasm. The album is released as a three-panel digipack CD and limited vinyl editions.
The setting is the Alte Kirche at Bonn's Collegium Leoninum, framed by a lofty ribbed vault and distinguished by its intimate atmosphere and exceptional acoustics. Here, an intense musical dialogue unfolds. Dutch pianist Jasper van't Hof impresses with the opulence of his dense, bass-heavy clusters, followed by rapid-fire excursions across four piano octaves. Yet van't Hof is equally at home with delicate tones, bringing out the lyrical qualities of his Fazioli F308 grand piano.
Bonn-based Peter Materna responds to this inspiring encounter with equal versatility. At times, his soprano saxophone produces finely articulated cascades of sound; at others, his alto saxophone delivers a powerful counterpoint with its rich, penetrating tones. What emerges is a duet that moves between intimacy, seduction, mutual engagement and spirited musical confrontation.
Jasper van't Hof is renowned for his rock jazz work with groups such as Pork Pie and Pili Pili, as well as for collaborations with jazz greats including Charlie Mariano, Wolfgang Dauner and Archie Shepp. Peter Materna, meanwhile, has made his mark as a soloist alongside pop and jazz stars and as a composer. For the past 17 years, he has also served as artistic director of the Jazzfest Bonn, shaping its distinctive profile with his profound knowledge of jazz.
Skyline captures this extraordinary encounter across 10 tracks, nine of them original compositions by the two artists. Each piece is interpreted with a freshness and intensity that reveals new facets of their music. The result is a multifaceted, at times thrillingly eruptive musical relationship - a dialogue that constantly shifts between delicate rapprochement and exhilarating musical interplay.
