Philip Weberndoerfer Trio & Dayna Stephens – TIDES

In the organizer's words:

TIDES is a sound painting of the absurdity of human existence with all its ups and downs.

It tells of the feeling of being at the mercy of a strong current, but of feeling deep within oneself the confidence that this current is a benevolent force that ultimately drives us towards safe shores. Every now and then, we encounter life like the tides: The undertow of the ebbing tide sweeps away those whose roots no longer reach deep enough, whereas the waves of the rising tide carry with them the chance of new encounters and personal growth.

This album is an authentic New York project with artists not far from the East River. The musicians in the band came together specifically as friends, with a mission to maintain a childlike innocence and curiosity in cultivating their style in order to develop a sound defined by serenity and inner calm, against the tide of our fast-paced environment. At the same time, the group has an expressiveness that has been shaped by the New York jazz community and honed through numerous concerts in the midst of the city's vibrant nightlife.

On this musical journey, guitarist Philip Weberndoerfer has created a soulful oeuvre of compositions that oscillate between melancholy, light-heartedness and passion. Congenially supported by the sensitive musicality of Richard Mikel on bass and Peter Traunmueller on drums, the trio crossed paths with Dayna Stephens, who shares this artistic vision and complements it with his lyrical sound on saxophone.

The result of this collaboration is an imaginative album that celebrates freedom and openness as well as a palpable intimacy among the musicians as a bold approach to dialog and interaction. The ebb and flow of the compositions creates tension for unforeseen improvisational moments, and scope for the individual instruments to unfold individually.

Philip Weberndoerfer's TIDES reminds us that music creates community and can be a safe shore in turbulent times. This album is an invitation to listeners to immerse themselves in this comforting world of sound and let their souls drift with open ears.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFgP7PsIAGc