Andreas Willers: Tin Drum Stories - Inspired by the novel Die Blechtrommel' by Gunter Grass

With pieces such as “Tin Drum Stories; Parts 1 & 2, the guitarist slashes and burns atop Michael Griener’s swarming beats and shrewd utilization of assorted percussion instruments while bassist Horst Nonnenmacher provides a cohesive bottom-end for the trio’s multidimensional vistas. Willers is an expert at utilizing various volume control techniques as a tool for accentuation and spawning intersecting motifs yet displays a propensity for turning up the heat within various sequences. Basically, the group explores adventurous free jazz type dialogue in conjunction with Willers’ beefy lines, fleet-fingered single note runs, and mood evoking chord voicings. Hence, peaks and valleys abound via distinctly shaped tonalities and variegated undercurrents. On, “Wasser, Brot, Schute”, the guitarist pursues a slithery mode of execution as he incorporates blaring chunks of sound along with Jimmy Page-like stinging blues/rock leads, and resplendent thematic invention while the rhythm section regenerates a hybrid and somewhat surreal Rock/Afro-Cuban pulse. However, the underlying factor resides within the band’s curiously interesting implementations, as these musicians straddle the outside while also providing additional insight into familiar musical territories. Highly recommended.

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