Jan Prax Quartett - Keepin a Style Alive '2015

Tracks list

Tracklist
---------
01. 20 Dollars
02. Morning Dawn
03. Tranes Ride
04. The Journey
05. 001
06. Is That Right?
07. Keepin a Style Alive
08. Shades of Autumn
09. Serious Business
10. Got a Crush On You

“You are so young and play so great. I hate you!” Those were the
words uttered by none other than David Sandborn upon meeting Jan Prax (born 1992
in Karlsruhe) after seeing the youngster’s impressive performance on the
main stage of the Leverkusener Jazztage in 2013 – Prax was performing as
a reward for winning the ‘future sounds’ competition the year
before. The press drew similar conclusions as to his talent, the Hamburger
Abendblatt noting that Jan Prax plays the alto sax like the Devil incarnate.... 

With its fresh, pulsating sound, the Jan Prax Quartett is seen as one of the
promising newcomers of Young German Jazz. The four musicians passionately and
playfully bring together traditional and modern elements of jazz and put their
own stamp on it. Inspired by the timeless depth of the music of American jazz
legends, the bands own compositions are a vibrant avowal to bebop and hard bop.
“Keepin’ A Style Alive” is their debut album. 

Keepin’ A Style Alive is an expression of love for the music of Praxs
role models, such as John Coltrane, Charlie Parker and Jackie McLean, while at
the same time representing a deliberate commitment to the jazz tradition. The
tradition of jazz and its history of development are very important to me, says
Prax, and he goes on to say: I admire the expressiveness of the old masters
– the sound, the groove and the swing that they impart. That music is an
important source of inspiration for my musical ideas and it adds depth to how I
play. 

Alongside his improvisational and technical qualities, it is this interplay
between commitment to tradition and the desire to transport that foundation to
the here and now by means of an open and modern approach that makes Jan Prax
stand out. He is particularly fascinated by bebop and hard bop. 

But Jan Prax does not fall back on well-known standards to realize his musical
ideas, he composes his own pieces, in part together with his pianist Martin
Sörös. The result is grooving, energetic music with a modern and
individual style that shows what living jazz tradition means to a young musician
like Prax with a so eminently mature sound.

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