Trio Classics 3 Martin Sasse

• 1 Just Squeeze Me 07:49
• 2 Waltz for Debby 05:04
• 3 Billie Boy 05:10
• 4 Moanin' 05:19
• 5 In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning 04:53
• 6 Effendi 05:12
• 7 FSR 03:35
• 8 Poinciana 07:49
• 9 Tricotism 04:57
• 10 Firm Roots 04:29
• Total Runtime 54:17

Info for Trio Classics 3

Over the past 20 years, pianist Martin Sasse has released a large number of albums documenting his continuous development into one of the best European straight ahead pianists. The trio line-up with bassist Henning Gailing and drummer Joost van Schaik has been playing together for a very long time and has already released episodes 1 and 2 in the Trio Classics series in 2007 and 2011. This series is oriented in layout and musical style to the classic Blue Note recordings of the 1950s and 1960s, even though Blue Note mostly had bigger bands under contract. The program opens with Duke Ellington's "Just Squeeze Me," featuring mid-tempo swing. In "Moanin'," Sasse manages to bring Bobby Timmons to life at a fast tempo without copying him. Henning Gailing launches the ballad "In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning" with his bowed bass before Sasse interprets the beautiful melody over van Schaik's tastefully restrained drumming. McCoy Tyner's "Effendi" is played by Sasse as a fast swinger, displaying the irrepressible groove that clearly sets him apart from the multitude of pianists.

Martin Sasse, piano
Henning Gailing, bass
Joost van Schaik, drums

Martin Sasse
has worked with almost all the greats in international jazz over the course of his stage career and has long been one of the outstanding jazz pianists in Europe. He has released over ten albums under his own name and has played as a guest on countless recordings and at concerts around the world. Legends of jazz have shaped and have shaped his path, including Al Foster, Jimmy Cobb, Steve Grossman and Lee Konitz. For Billy Cobham and Hiram Bullock he switched from piano to the Hammond B3 and presented himself as an outstanding organist.

Sasse has toured with the New York Voices, Dusko Gojkovich, Al Foster, Rick Margitza and Dick Oatts and was the pianist in Till Brönner's "Talking Jazz" series at the Bundeskunsthalle in Bonn. He has accompanied singing greats such as Roberta Gambarini, Tierney Sutton, Janis Siegel (Manhattan Transfer) and Bobby McFerrin. His regular partners include Philip Catherine, Peter Bernstein, Dennis Mackrel, Harry Allen and Scott Hamilton.

The Martin Sasse Trio has existed in changing formations for almost thirty years. The first album, "Here we come" (2000), received excellent international reviews. Later albums feature Vincent Herring, Miles Davis saxophonist Steve Grossmann and guitarist Peter Bernstein. The trio received the German Record Critics' Award in 2010 for the album "Good Times" with Charlie Mariano.

Martin Sasse has also accompanied world stars from pop and classical music, including Johnny Logan, Tommy Emmanuel and Chris de Burgh. He has performed with Jose Carreras, Luciano Pavarotti and Placido Domingo and played the European tour "Symphonicity" with Sting and the Bochum Symphony Orchestra. Helge Schneider, Udo Jürgens and Udo Lindenberg are some of the greatest German-speaking entertainers among Sasse's playing partners.

The highly acclaimed film "Blue", which premiered at "Jazzahead" in Bremen, accompanied Sasse's performances for over two years, including at the legendary jazz club "Smalls" in New York and the famous Annex Sound Studio in Tokyo. Martin Sasse's concert tours have taken him through Europe and the USA, to Japan and China, to Egypt and Sudan. He teaches at the Institute for Media and Music at the Robert Schumann University in Düsseldorf.

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