Bands

Pocket Radio

Pocket Radio
photo: Nicole Müller

Riaz Khabirpour Trio

Riaz Khabirpour Trio
photo: Eric Engel

KOi Trio

KOi Trio
photo: Eric Engel

Pocket Radio

"Pocket Radio" ist the name Riaz Khabirpour has given his new quartet. For the guitarist the band name is a reference to his own childhood, when he started to listen to music intensely on this radio.

The melodic axis in this quartet is Matthew Halpin's eloquent, rhetorically dense phrasing on the tenor saxophone, and the bandleader who opens up new dimensions of expression to the sound spectrum of his guitar with various effects. Halpin and Khabirpour are technically accomplished instrumentalists who create their own, always recognizable language in their improvisations. The sophistication of this pairing is particularly evident in the themes, which are often presented in unison: with their tonal affinity and distance to each other, with the contrast of cool intellect and hot emotion.

With Matthias Akeo Nowak and Leif Berger, a tight rhythm section is at work, stretching the canvas for Halpin's and Khabirpour's art of improvisation into a fixed, harmonic and rhythmic setting. Nowak's woody, warm tone on the bass is the focal point for Berger’s thrillingly drummed grooves and rhythmically shimmering pulsations.

— Matthew Halpin – tenor saxophone
— Riaz Khabirpour – guitar
— Matthias Akeo Nowak – bass
— Leif Berger – drums
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Riaz Khabirpour Trio

Anticipative interplay and stylistic openness characterize the sound of this trio, which draws inspiration from various sources such as singer-songwriter Elliot Smith, classical composer Olivier Messiaen and contemporary jazz.

The three musicians aim for a broad musical palette and use effects to enhance the traditional sound of a trio. Sparse soundscapes merge into rich, glowing harmonies.

— Riaz Khabirpour – guitar
— Pol Belardi – bass
— Pit Dahm – drums
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KOi Trio

KOi, „Khabirpour, Oli und Ich“ wurde 2010 als Bandprojekt des Kölner Bassisten Matthias Akeo Nowak ins Leben gerufen. Eigene Kompositionen spielen, gemeinsam experimentieren, dem Gegensätzlichen Raum geben, komplementäre Verknüpfungen bilden, dabei die Jazztradition nicht aus dem Auge zu verlieren. Nur ein Ziel, das sich die drei Musiker gesetzt haben, um dem Teufelskreis sich kopierender Jazztrios zu entkommen.

Mit seinen Freunden Riaz Khabirpour (Gitarre) und Oliver Rehmann (Schlagzeug) hat Matthias ideale Partner gefunden, um diesen eigenen Bandsound zu kreieren.

Rockeinflüsse, serielle Strukturen und improvisationsoffenes Material bilden Ausgangspunkte dieser zeitgemäßen Jazzmusik, deren Idee von Lebendigkeit durch den Bebop eines Charles Mingus inspiriert ist.

— Matthias Akeo Nowak – bass
— Riaz Khabirpour – guitar
— Oliver Rehmann – drums
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