New York vibraphonist Tim Collins, a sought-after soloist on the international jazz scene, and Austrian pianist Martin Gasselsberger, twice named Jazz Musician of the Year by Concerto music magazine, have been collaborating musically for 14 years. On this evening, they will present music from their brand-new album “Songs from the Treehouse,” among other pieces.

"...Vibraphone and piano in dialogue: Only a few musicians in the history of jazz have ventured into this unusual combination. The Americans Gary Burton and Chick Corea set the standard in 1972, followed almost ten years later in Germany by vibraphonist Wolfgang Schlüter and pianist Christoph Spendel. Now vibraphonist Tim Collins and pianist Martin Gasselsberger shine with the same effective line-up. Like their predecessors, they rely on the power of catchy, often romantically swinging melodies, rather slow tempos and virtuoso moments of speed interspersed throughout. They let the notes float, bring them back down to earth, and delightfully exploit the contrast between the metallic and often reverberating sound of the vibraphone's metal plates and the more sharply contoured sound of the piano strings...“ (Werner Stiefele on ”Songs from the Treehouse")

In the second set, the duo grows into a quartet: Christian Wendt (bass) and Christian Lettner (drums), two outstanding musicians, join the group. Despite—or perhaps because of—the individual virtuosity of all involved, a collective sound of great sensitivity and depth emerges. The musical structures move between tightly coordinated passages and freely associative moments. The resulting sound fills the room intensely, yet always remains transparent and open.

The four musicians deliberately refrain from stylistic conventions – “all in,” what counts is the moment: lively, immediate, and unique. (Press release)