Daniel Erdmann’s new Organic Soulfood trio was born out of a double quest: the German-French star saxophonist wanted to get closer to certain aspects of jazz history, but also to intuitively search for the unknown. On their debut album Into the Sweet Unknown, the trio recorded songs inspired by the immersion in jazz traditions and the classical organ trio instrumentation, but also driven by a modern playing style that best showcases the musicians’ creative power.

Renowned for his playing that ranges from nuanced, mellow sounds to a deliberately rough tone and his subtle humour, Daniel Erdmann’s bands always gather playful and highly skilled musicians, who create an instantly recognisable sound with their personal, innovative style. This is also the case with Erdmann’s latest trio, Organic Soulfood, in which his long-standing bandmate Jim Hart replaces the vibraphone with a drum kit to create dynamic and changeable grooves, while Antonin Rayon (Hammond organ) appears as a new collaborator alongside the saxophonist. Rayon, who has become well-known as the musical partner of Dominique Pifarély and Marc Ducret, brings the soullike atmosphere often associated with his instrument to perfection – a spiritual overtone that partly inspired the band’s name –, but the timbres, harmonies and bass lines, which are sometimes abstract and sometimes almost electronic, make his playing atypical enough to never become predictable. The trio was born out of a double quest: Erdmann wanted to get closer to certain aspects of jazz history, but also to intuitively search for the unknown. Their songs are inspired by the immersion in jazz traditions and the classical organ trio instrumentation, but also driven by a modern playing style that best showcases the musicians’ creative power. In his compositions, Erdmann is again able to preserve the elaborate forms without compromising the freedom of improvisation, and allows ample space for solos to take wing. The result is an album that remains accessible with high-quality instrumental performance and a thoughtful concept palpable throughout.

In recent years, Daniel Erdmann has been honoured with many of the jazz world’s most prestigious awards, such as the Echo Jazz Prize, the Deutscher Jazzpreis and the SWR Jazz Prize. For almost a decade, the saxophonist has maintained a close and intensive working relationship with BMC Records, both as a leader of his own bands and as a participant in various projects. He appears alongside Aki Takase on four albums: as a member of the band Japanic (2019 and 2024), on the duo album Isn’t It Romantic? (2021) and on the recording of Carmen Rhapsody (2023). Also recently released on the label is Nothing Else, the latest album by his trio with Vincent Courtois and Robin Fincker. The saxophonist’s most successful band to date is Velvet Revolution, whose debut album A Short Moment of Zero G (2016) won the German music critics’ award for best album of the year (Jahrespreis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik) in 2017, among many other prizes, and whose success has continued with their next two albums (Won’t Put No Flag Out, 2019; Message in a Bubble, 2023). Erdmann’s tenth BMC Records album is also in preparation, featuring the German-French jazz sextet Thérapie de Couple, which he has founded at the joint commission of the Jazzahead! showcase and Jazzdor Festival.