Life Stream Tobias Becker Bigband

• 1 Life Stream Suite I 05:00
• 2 Life Stream Suite II 06:58
• 3 Life Stream Suite III 07:47
• 4 Life Stream Suite IV 06:48
• 5 I'll Be Seeing You 06:20
• 6 Meerklang 09:25
• 7 Parker 51 06:24
• 8 Independent Blue 05:34
• 9 Love Me or Leave Me 02:37
• Total Runtime 56:53

Info for Life Stream

Jazz orchestra, big band, or large ensemble the differential in terminology is in direct proportion to the number of members and the arrangements involved. I have heard some fine big bands here in the United States, perhaps too many. Three bands in two years have been almost flawless while the rest are simply above average.

Tobias Becker drops Life Stream on March 1, 2013 and with his big band is one of the two finest large ensembles coming out of Eastern Europe. Becker began this journey in 2008 with the expressed intent of focusing on the diversity of the members and arrangement that make up his big band without the ensemble overshadowing the musicians, the performers dictate the ebb and flow of another highly organic flip of what most listeners consider to be the more traditional aspects of big band. A bold move is to take the reigns of a big band as your initial debut with a release full of originals and self arrangements. Becker shows his formidable skills as a leader and will hopefully have his incredible band cross over to continue to give the more stoic American big bands the creative jump start that most American ensembles are still struggling with. Perhaps handcuffed by a more academic approach here in the United States, Becker charts a new course coming out of Germany and raises the bar for others to follow.

Life Stream Suite 1 opens this lush compositions with a deceptively subtle jazz orchestration carefully laid under some dynamite solos from various individuals to create a dynamic fusion of hard bop with a smoking hot big band with the uncanny ability to change dynamics on the fly. One cover here is an absolutely exquisite version of the American standard 'I'll Be Seeing You' brought full circle with the vocal artistry of Verena Nubel. A delightful cover that allows the original melody to soar while the arrangement has an intoxicating ebb and flow as a tune within a tune. 'Parker 51' is a Jimmy Raney tune that again is a cover that hits all its marks while never losing the feel of the melodic flow of the original. The ebb and flow contained and the occasional more contemporary riff on some standard tunes shows Becker's prolific talents as composer and arranger and an absolute force to be reckoned with in the years to come.

Preconceived notions are never good when evaluating artistic merit. While a keen sense of melody and perhaps some basic knowledge of theory is helpful, artists like Tobias Becker and his big band transcend the typical or the expected and work their ensemble into new and often uncharted melodic waters. Life Stream is as close to perfect as a contemporary big band can achieve, 4.5 out of 5 stars and highly recommended for big band aficionados. (Brent Black, Criticaljazz.com)

Tobias Becker, piano
The Tobias Becker Bigband are:
Julian Bossert, reed
Markus Land, reed
Alexander Bühl, reed
Toni Bechthold, reed
Christoph Beck, reed
Christian Mück, trumpet
Christian Mehler, trumpet
Dominik Gaus, trumpet
Steffen Mathes, trumpet
Benjamin Lindner, trumpet
Florian Seeger, trombone
Wolfgang Nix, trombone
Marc Roos, trombone
Sven Götz, trombone
Johannes Maikranz, guitar
Judith Goldbach, bass
Martin Grünenwald, drums
Verena Nübel, vocals

Associated members:
Markus Harm, reeds
Roberto Volse, bass
Theo Balbig, bass

Tobias Becker - Pianist/ Leader
…studierte an der Hochschule für Musik und darstellende Kunst Stuttgart von 2005-2012 Jazz Klavier bei Paul Schwarz und Hubert Nuss sowie klassisches Klavier bei Andreas Dürr Bei Prof. Rainer Tempel (MH Stuttgart, Zürich Jazz Orchestra) und Klaus Wagenleiter (MH Bern, SWR Bigband) hatte er Kompositions- und Arrangementunterricht. Seit 2001 gibt es die Tobias Becker Band und seit 2005 die Tobias Becker Bigband …ist als Pianist u.a. tätig für: Eberhard Buziat Jazz Orchester, The Longhorns, Pierre Brass Sound Connection, Verena Nübel Quartett, Landesjazzorchester Baden-Württemberg (2006-2008), Polizeiorchester Baden-Württemberg, Lumberjack Bigband (Göppingen), Gastspiel und Tourpianist für Frl. WommyWonder (seit 2008), Ernst Mantel (Mantel Gala) …ist als Arrangeur und Komponist u.a. tätig für: Max Mutzke, 3 Diven, Frl. WommyWonder, Helge Schneider, Julia Neigel, Landesakademie Ochsenhausen, Stuttgart Jazz Orchestra, Theater Lüneburg, Polizeiorchester Baden-Württemberg, Ernst Mantel, Karl Frierson, SWR Bigband, Metropole Orchestra, Richard Bona, Landesjazzorchester Baden-Württemberg, Bigband der Musikhochschule Stuttgart, Lumberjack Bigband, Daimler Bigband Stuttgart, sowie div. andere Ensembles und Künstler.

Die Tobias Becker Bigband
schart einige der besten jungen Jazz Musiker aus ganz Deutschland zusammen. Mit einem Altersdurchschnitt von etwa 25 Jahren sammelt sich hier eine Generation junger und hochtalentierter Jazzmusiker, die sowohl mit eigenen Projekten auf sich aufmerksam machen als auch in anderen Profibigbands, wie beispielsweise der SWR Bigband, dem Sunday Night Orchestra, div. Musical Produktionen (u.a. ‚Ich war noch niemals in New York’), der Jazz Factory Bigband u.v.a. ein- und ausgehen. Allein diese Tatsache bürgt für ein routiniertes Auftreten und einen hochwertigen Klang. Die Spielfreude und der Spaß in diesem Klangkörper zu musizieren vereint die durch diverse Preise ausgezeichneten (z.B. Yamaha Trumpet Contest, Young Lions Jazz Award u.a.) Solisten der Band zu einem homogenen und eingespielten Jazz Orchester.

Booklet for Life Stream