Hans Lüdemann’s TransEuropeExpress octet of
French and German musicians set out in 2019 to
explore Europe’s border regions through the “On
The Edges” project. Following the first album,
focusing on North Africa with Majid Bekkas, the
second and third part of the series will be released
in November, taking the listener to Scandinavia
with Sofia Jernberg and Kalle Kalima, and to Italy
with Rita Marcotulli and Luciano Biondini.
On The Edges 3, available in both physical and digital
formats, has a focus on melodic elements that make
the music more accessible. Among the tracks, we
find several catchy hits, to be instantly whistled,
some of which are reworkings from Lüdemann’s
previous compositions. This album was recorded
in Rome, thanks to the German Rome Prize for
composition that Lüdemann received in 2021. But
it is not only the pervasive Mediterranean flavour
that sets the mood: Rita Marcotulli and Lüdemann’s
collaboration is the result of a personal relationship
that goes back many years, and this is reflected in
their natural and intuitive interplay. Marcotulli is the
“grand dame” of Italian jazz, at home in all its layers,
from popular sounds to the most modern musical
constructions. The other guest is Luciano Biondini,
one of the most original, creative, and virtuosic
European accordionists today. His participation was
recommended by Kalle Kalima, with whom he has
recorded and worked together. The album is also a
joint cooperation between TEE and their guests, as
the tracks include not only Lüdemann’s tunes, but
also compositions by Marcotulli, Biondini, Grimal and
Terzic.
Hans Lüdemann has appeared on ten BMC Records
albums in the last decade. Two albums by Rooms,
the trio that forms the core of TransEuropeExpress
and its rhythm section, featuring the pianist’s two
faithful accomplices Sébastien Boisseau and Dejan
Terzic, were released in 2010 and 2017, and Rooms
was also represented on the five-disc album Die
Kunst des Trios, centered on Lüdemann. What makes
the TransEuropeExpress octet special is not only its
large size but also its membership: alongside founder
Hans Lüdemann, the majority of the musicians are
German and French, which, like the co-productions
of the Jazzdor festival, has played a pioneering role
in advancing jazz music relations between the two
nations. The lineup of the octet is composed entirely
of creative soloists: saxophonists Silke Eberhard and
Alexandra Grimal, trombonist Yves Robert, violin
player Régis Huby and guitarist Ronny Graupe. The
band made their debut with the 2018 album Polyjazz,
and in 2019, together with Majid Bekkas, they began
recording On The Edges 1, resulting in the release of
the critically acclaimed album in 2022.