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
In the course of his stage career Martin Sasse has worked with nearly all legends in the international jazz scene and Sasse himself ranks as one of the most outstanding jazz pianists in Europe. He has released ten albums under his own name and plays as a guest on countless recordings and at concerts worldwide. Jazz legends have influenced him, including Al Foster, Jimmy Cobb, Steve Grossman and Lee Konitz. For Billy Cobham and Hiram Bullock he switched from the piano to the hammond B3 and presents himself as an outstanding organist.

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

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

Martin Sasse has also accompanied world stars from pop and classical music, including Bobby McFerrin, Tommy Emmanuel and Chris de Burgh. He was on stage with Jose Carreras, Luciano Pavarotti and Placido Domingo and played the European tour "Symphonicity" with Sting and the Bochumer Symphonic Orchestra. Helge Schneider, Udo Jürgens and Udo Lindenberg, some of the greatest German speaking entertainers, also belong to Sasse's musician partners.

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

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