Grow With The Flow Niko Seibold

• 1Rodère14:39
• 2While She Sleeps12:37
• 3Gonda Intro02:16
• 4Gonda08:35
• 5Tokyo Drifter06:55
• 6Gecho00:43
• Total Runtime45:45

Info for Grow With The Flow

A fine balance between a calm, gentle pace and a driving but steady forward momentum. A total work of art freed from ego and a true definition of 'modern jazz' in 2024

The term "Northern European jazz" often conjures up images of vast fjords, accompanied by a spacious, minimalist soundscape that hints at the supremacy of the mountains and the insignificance of one's own existence. A humble, meditative introspection is the emotional reaction of the listener. "Grow With the Flow", on the other hand, evokes a deeper, downright evolutionary reflection and encourages listeners to imagine a world without borders. The music inspires to consider the responsibility of each individual in realising a limitless existence. A fine balance between a calm, gentle pace and a driving but steady forward momentum.' (Nikki Yeoh)

The saxophonist and composer Niko Seibold comes from southern Germany and has now made his home in Switzerland. Musical diversity has always been a theme for him. Whether with the German-Tunisian collective Beyond Borders, his quartet Seibolzing or in the group of Venezuelan bassist Roberto Koch - his engagement with the material is always profound and never superficial. Seibold has gained experience with large ensembles since his studies in New York with old master Jim McNeely, including the 2018 Grammy-nominated production West Side Story Reimagined and the Metropole Orkest with Vince Mendoza in the Netherlands. Inspired by the cultural richness of his adopted city of Basel, he is now presenting his debut as a composer for a 17-piece mixed orchestra called 'Elfton Ensemble'. The album was prominently produced by the renowned British composer Django Bates.

"Over the years, I have realised that composing for very specific characters suits me best," recaps Seibold. "I love to emphasise the strengths and brilliance of very different musicians. The sound and playing style of many members of the band had a decisive influence on the composition phase." Sometimes it doesn't matter which instruments come together. "However, I deliberately do without a piano, for example, so as not to paint over the wonderful harmony of the harp - vibraphone - guitar trio." The harp in particular is rarely heard in such a central role. This could be due to the fact that Seibold is (apparently happily) married to the Elfton harpist Esther Sévérac.

'Niko's compositions seamlessly combine hermeto-esque and Turkish folkloric melodies, the natural use of odd rhythms, delicate orchestration often with a hint of the Mahavishnu Orchestra, and the fiery sound of the New York jazz scene. The rich fabric of orchestrated layers, unpredictable ostinati and contrapuntal crossings is spontaneously enlivened by Jérémie Krüttli (bass) and Paulo Almeida (drums), allowing each improvised passage to take stratospheric excursions. A Gesamtkunstwerk of outstanding musicians, free of ego, completely present and committed. Every note comes from the heart and is unselfishly meaningful. A universal expression of where we come from and where we are going. 'Grow with the Flow' is the true definition of 'modern jazz' in 2024." (Nikki Yeoh)

Anne-Lise Teruel, flutes
Simon Spiess, tenor saxophone, bass clarinet
Fabian Willmann, tenor saxophone, bass clarinet
Alexandre Zanetta, horn
Raphael Rossé, trombone, euphonium
Òscar Latorre, trumpet
Vincent Millioud, violin
Baptiste van de Wiele, violin
Güldeste Mamaç, viola
Ambrosius Huber, violoncello
Esther Sévérac, harp
Fabio Gouvea, acoustic and electric guitar
Jim Hart, vibraphone, percussion
Jérémie Krüttli, double and electric bass
Paulo Almeida, drums
Song Yi Jeon, vocals
Niko Seibold, alto and soprano saxophone, bass clarinet, compositions & arrangements

Niko Seibold
(1987 in Stuttgart) is a German saxophonist, composer and arranger. His main projects are the Jazz quartet Seibolzing (Finals Neuer Deutscher Jazzpreis 2019 under curator Renaud Garcia-Fons), the newly founded 17-piece Elfton Ensemble (record produced by Django Bates, releases in February 2024) and the German-Tunisian collective Beyond Borders (3rd album release in 2022). He is the co-founder of the Toskana Jazzworkshop as well as the independent label Hout Records. Furthermore he organizes the Festival tis jazz Fest in Basel. He has collaborated a.o. with Jorge Rossy, Mark Turner and Vince Mendoza and received commissions from the Metropole Orkest (2017), from Bobby Sanabria (Grammy nomination 2018) and from the Generations Festival (2021 curator Django Bates). In 2021 Niko held a scholarship from Kunststiftung Baden-Württemberg. Niko studied at the Manhattan School of Music with Jim McNeely and Dave Liebman, with Domenic Landolf and Guillermo Klein at Jazzcampus Basel and at Musikhochschule Mannheim with Jürgen Seefelder. He resides and works near Basel, Switzerland.

This album contains no booklet.