Spectacles

Musicians: CD1: Cline Rudolph: vocals (2/5/6/7/8/10/12/14/16) Inga Lhning: vocals (1/3/6/13/15) Stephan Meinberg: trumpet, fluegelhorn, electronics Sven Decker: tenor saxophone, clarinet, bass clarinet, electronics Markus Segschneider: guitars, pedal-steel Andr Nendza: acoustic bass Christoph Hillmann: drums, percussion, electronics CD2: Dave Liebman: soprano saxophone Stephan Meinberg: trumpet, fluegelhorn Oliver Leicht: clarinet, electronics Ralph Beerkircher: guitar Andr Nendza: acoustic bass Christoph Hillmann: drums, percussion, electronics About: In the year 2002 the first CD of Andr Nendzas electro-acoustic ensemble 'A.tronic' titled 'Lichtblau' is released. Critics and audiences are equally enthusiastic about it. The radio station 'Deutschlandfunk' for example ranks 'Lichtblau' as one of the most important CDs of the year 2002. Remarkable and eventful concerts are following with guest musicians like Charlie Mariano, Ramesh Shotham and Gabriele Hasler. In 2005 the group records four new titles with Dave Liebman, who had performed in 'Lichtblau' already. These titles are later added to the album 'Spectacles' as a bonus-CD. But in spite of these developments Andr Nendza is not really sure about the direction of a new programme. With it's suite-like character 'Lichtblau' is almost regarded as a cult album by some but this narrows the horizons for new ideas. Nendza makes his escape 'around the corner' and concentrates on his various other projects. 'Im trying to develop my music constantly from CD to CD, from programme to programme. So you have to have the patience to wait for a rousing idea. Of course, for marketing reasons it would have been more sensible not to take six years time for a follow-up. But I wouldnt like to do without any of my other projects. So Im always working in phases with a different emphasis. When Im writing a new programme for one of my projects, another one gets my attention regarding booking and promotion. And my bass wants to be practiced as well.' Nevertheless, A.tronic is always on the bassists mind. But how can you look at things in a different way, rephrase and break the sound of the project? The use of a guitar soon makes clear that the modal character, which had shaped most of 'Lichtblau', has to be harmoniously broadened and opened. Then, by pure chance, Nendzas interest is focused on the possibility of singing lyrics, which was just suggested on the debut CD. 'I have always liked the musical version of a Maja Angelou poem on a Dave Holland CD. In the internet I found some more of her poems structured in a very songlike way, so that a musical arrangement just seemed to be necessary. After this discovery I really got inflamed with writing.' A great number of songs arise playfully in this creative phase, at first based on the poetry of different authors. And so, after six years, A.tronic gets a changed, almost poplike face. 'In the last twenty years the focus of my interest was always jazz in general and in every possible form and state. Nevertheless, I have always followed the interesting developments in pop music. This certainly had some influence on my instrumental compositions, but somehow rather through the backdoor. But in the new A.tronic programme this pop influence comes to fruition more directly. But still, we are certainly not a pop band. Our music is just too different. Besides, I love jazz because you can get older with dignity here. Many aging rockbands give a rather bizarre impression.' For the moment Nendza wants to publish the compositions with the original poems. But soon he is confronted with copyright problems. In his effort not to waste months and months in discussions with several publishers and heirs, he remembers his beginnings. 'Im a child of the 80s and I think that in the first half of the decade a great deal of extraordinary pop events took place, coming from punk and new wave and mixing with black music. This music led me to become a musician. The way to jazz opened later with many detours. It is a pitty that today in Germany many people rather