CORNELIUS CLAUDIO KREUSCH

Der Jazz Pianist, Komponist und Produzent Cornelius Claudio Kreusch, den der Boston Globe als "ein Pianist, der klingt wie kein anderer. Unendlich faszinierend zu hören." bezeichnete, hat mehr 33 Veröffentlichungen unter eigenem Namen und arbeitete mit Künstlern wie Herbie Hancock, Bobby McFerrin, Salif Keïta, Kenny Garrett, Bobby Watson oder Greg Osby zusammen. Der international gefragte Musiker ist auch als Festivalmacher, Produzent, Musikmanager und Entrepreneur erfolgreich tätig. Der Bayerische Rundfunk beschrieb ihn einmal wie folgt: "Dieser rasende Musik-Alchimist, dieser besessene Schnell-Denker, dieser eruptive Tonfabrikant raubt einem die Sinne und den halben Verstand: da kannst du nur den Hut ziehen und kapitulieren. Kreusch reißt alle Klaviertitanen des Jahrhunderts, ob sie Tatum oder Solal, Horowitz, Gould, Kühn, Hancock oder Jarrett heißen, in den Gedanken-Strudel seiner aberwitzigen Virtuosität und unternimmt mit einigen alten Standards im Hinterkopf eine tollkühne Tasten-Ralley der ständigen Metamorphosen, in die gewaltige Kettenreaktion seiner sprühenden, unglaublich kreativen Phantasie.”

(Attila Csampai)

SOLO PIANO - YIN YANG

Review by GENE THACKARA

in ALL ABOUT JAZZ.

“Though it's easy enough for a player to find a home niche, Cornelius Claudio Kreusch sounds like he won't really be satisfied until he's practically tried them all. Classically-trained and having whirled through fusion, funk, Latin, African, film scores and probably too much else to list, he somehow manages to pack in pieces of everything when just playing solo.

The mix here bridges the classic tones of Thelonious Monk and Bill Evans with the quiet beauty of Joachim Kuhn or Fred Hersch, right alongside fluid genre-weaving worthy of Keith Jarrett and a spontaneous virtuosity that evokes the likes of Bud Powell.

While it's easy to keep playing the spot-the-influence game through the whole hour here, Kreusch's melange deserves to stand apart from all of them. As with peers like Jarrett and Brad Mehldau, it all makes for a jazz-based experience you don't have to like jazz to appreciate.

Transformer is a dense hour right from the start, a roiling rumba dedicated to the late Paco de Lucia. From there it remains evocative enough to play like a series of miniature film shorts. "Legacy" romps around a twisting bass figure that would make even Bruce Hornsby think twice; John Coltrane's "Giant Steps" turns haunting and introspective while still allowing for a little rapid crashing as well.

Kreusch dances, pounds and stomps across the keys like an eerily precise tornado, calming down for a storm's eye like the placid "Easter Monday," then springing right back into wild flights of play. It's a crazy ride that can't be unpacked or digested in a hurry. Kreusch knows his music history inside and out, well enough to happily transcend and indeed transform whatever he touches.”

Photo © Detlef Schneider

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“One of the

greatest improvisors

in Europe.”

Jazzthing

Photo © Kosta Matzios

“A pianist

who sounds

like no one else.

Endlessly fascinating

to hear.”

Boston Globe

“A genius talent,

a nimble fingered sorcerer,

a creative iconoclast

- the alchemist.”

France Ouest

“Whether centennial piano titans Tatum, Solal, Horowitz, Gould, Kühn, Hancock or Jarrett, Kreusch, pulls all them all into the maelstrom of his outrageous virtuosity.”

Attila Csampai (Bayerischer Rundfunk, HIFi & Records, Music Manual, Tonart)

“It’s a wild ride.”

Time Out / New York

"Cornelius Claudio Kreusch really has all the qualities: He masters the piano and jazz. He has an always alert imagination, that allows him to be different. Something that always appeared to me as essential as an Improvisor. His “Zauberberg” is full of magic moments, that sound anew from track to track, which is a truly difficult task. He does it perfectly. He has got a wonderful touch, plays full of energy, full of emotion, rich in contrast, unexpected and with excellent tequnique. I hope, that this CD will find the appreciation that it deserves. He has got mine!"

(Martial Solal)

Selected

Collaborations

Singers

Badi Assad

Laura

Maya Azucena

Emilio Barretto

Jen Chapin

Fanta Diabaté

Polina Godiva

Thomas Grimes