"A very special Voyage In Time in which you are all invited to take part."
- Enrico Pieranunzi & Jasper Somsen
Pure jazz albums, those were the last three albums on which Pieranunzi and Somsen were to be heard. Now they come together on their second album for Challenge Records, following Common View (2020). This time it concerns a special recording, different from before both in terms of line-up and material.
Voyage in Time is a suite for piano and double bass in nine parts based on a free interpretation of the dance suites that are typical of the baroque. Those who associate Pieranunzi and Somsen with jazz will be surprised by titles such as 'Menuet, Courante and Pavane. But those who know these musicians better will not be unfamiliar with their shared fondness for classical music.
The suite, composed by Jasper Somsen, reflects this love for classical music and combines classical forms with a more open improvised approach. Thus the parts 'Pavane' and 'Finale' are an ode to Gabriel Fauré. The result is a kind of journey back and forth between the musical languages of this time and of old.
Enrico Pieranunzi is internationally regarded as one of the most prominent, brilliant jazz pianists on the European jazz scene. The pianist/composer/arranger has released more than 70 albums under his own name, from solo piano, duo, trio to quintet. Pieranunzi has composed more than 300 compositions which he has played all over the world at prestigious international festivals such as Montreal, Rio de Janeiro, Tokyo and Copenhagen. He was named Artist of the Year by Musica Jazz magazine three times (1989, 2003 and 2008) and won the French Django d'Or as best European musician. In 2014 he received the German Echo Jazz Award as "Best International Keyboard Artist".
Double bass player/composer/producer Jasper Somsen has worked with many great names from the international jazz scene including Peter Erskine, Lynne Arriale, Joey Calderazzo, Bob Sheppard, Jeff Ballard, Seamus Blake, Kendrick Scott and Gabriele Mirabassi. Somsen plays all over the world and is heard on more than 40 albums. He has released seven albums on Challenge Records including the upcoming release: John Helliwell - Jasper Somsen feat. Hans Vroomans & Marcel Serierse "Don't Ever Leave Me" (November 2022). In addition, Jasper Somsen also produced the recent albums of Bob Sheppard, Lynne Arriale and Jean-Michel Pilc for Challenge Records. Since 2021 he has been teaching at ArtEZ Hogeschool voor de Kunsten, Arnhem (NL).
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