Please take a moment to listen a bit and read on. This is mesmerizing music, providing joyous 'sonic travels'on our planet and beyond. The album features amazing musicians from New York City: world renown Drummer Jeff Ballard (Chick Core/Brad Mehldau) in a never done before drum duo with me/ Dave Striker-guitar heavyweight/ Zach Brock-violinist w/ Stanley Clark & Snarky Puppy/ Vadim Neselovskyi-pianist w/ Gary Burton / Pete McCann-guitarist w/ Patti Austin/ Bobby Harden-vocals w/ the Orig. Blues Brothers Band/ Adam Armstrong-bassist w/ Kenny Kirkland /Kenny Wheeler & also the award winning 'Mivos' String Quartet...recorded by engineer extraordinaire James Farber at the famous Sear Sound Studios in NYC for an incredible sonic experience. Famous Jazz Author Bob Blumenthal writes: 'It takes an exceptional composer, leader and percussionist to conceive a program of such ambition and scope, much less to make it work. Christian Finger is all three in one person, and Ananda marks him as an exceptional and exemplary contemporary musician.' This album is called 'Ananda' which means 'The World is Bliss' in Sanskrit. The compositions reflect real and imagined experiences in places around the world; reminding us that we are not alone, and that the world is a blissful place if we allow ourselves to be open to it in the moment. Ideas for compositions come from many different sources. Listening and analyzing the masters in all musical genres is a constant exploration for me. Experiences from everyday life in New York and abroad will spark an idea for a title, a rhythm or a mood that then is expressed through music. Art, architecture, and literature also provide continual sources of inspiration and ideas. The compositions in turn are diverse, ranging from fast paced and exciting, spontaneous and playful to slow and introspective. One specific trademark of my compositions aims to explore the American Jazz tradition and combine it with a European sensibility. Thus the addition of a string quartet that not only masters the classical tradition, but has great strength in jazz and improvisation, namely the Mivos Quartet. Another characteristic of my compositions is that, when writing, I take careful consideration of the specific sound each musician creates. I then tailor each part or voice so that each person has the opportunity to use his or her strengths. This allows the artists to create at their best, and results in a unique sound enhancing the intuitive and interactive playfulness of the band. As I mentioned before, my aim is to combine jazz traditions with a European sensibility. Add to that my desire to create music that enables the musicians to perform at their best, and we create a union that is bigger than the individual. How to translate this in the music? I use jazz, classical, rock elements and mix them with improvisation to create an intimate and personal atmosphere. As stated above, this music is inspired by the the Sanskrit expression, The World is Bliss. If one is open to it, it is my hope/aspiration that the music will transport the listener to an expanded state of consciousness, leaving him or her with the understanding that we are not alone, and to experience the world as a blissful place. The band recorded one day before storm Sandy...
Adam's family evacuated while we were recording; the Subway system shut down-the assistant engineer had to leave; Vadim had a last bus to Boston to catch; the streets of NYC deserted in anticipation-and yet we played focused, pretty relaxed and made it happen, recording ten pieces of music in one day. I sincerely hope you'll enjoy the music. Christian Finger NOTES by FAMOUS JAZZ AUTHOR BOB BLUMENTHAL: The concept of jazz as process, as a means of collective creation rather than a set of specific rhythms or riffs, keeps gaining traction in the 21st Century, and musicians such as Christian Finger are a major reason why. Finger was born in Germany; has lived in the Netherlands, Australia and the USA; visited over a dozen other countries and imagined other locales where his curiosity has taken
