FUSION FESTIVAL
Just released!
The new instrumental album by Gerhard Daum — the award-winning film music composer known for his cinematic scores — marks a compelling work featuring Anika Nilles on drums and Daum performing prominently on flugelhorn and guitar.
These unique multi-instrumental skills combined with his compositional background enable Gerhard’s authentic personal sound. It gives Fusion Festival a cinematic quality with warm, expressive, and reflective flugelhorn lines and virtuous guitar counterparts, originating in Jazz, Blues and contemporary Pop genres.
The thematic development of each track builds on a leitmotif, akin to leitmotifs in film scoring, which represents a refreshing approach in fusion where virtuosity often overshadows compositional depth.
While compositional structure is building the framework, there’s room for improvisational flair — a hallmark of great fusion that bridges nuanced score-like writing with jazz spontaneity.
Whether you’re a fan of modern fusion, rhythm-driven instrumental music, or expressive jazz, this release showcases both artists at their best.
Gerhard Daums neues Album FUSION FESTIVAL präsentiert sich als ein energetisch und genreübergreifendes Werk das jazzige Fusion-Elemente mit filmischer Klangdramaturgie verbindet. Die Kompositionen von Gerhard Daum spielen mit Raum, Farbe und erzählerischen Bögen, getragen von seiner Erfahrung als Filmmusikkomponist.
Daums ausdrucksstarke und emotional ansprechende Flügelhornlinien und virtuose Gitarrenriffs verleihen dem Album eine rhythmisch lebendige Klangfarbe.
Seine multiinstrumentalen Fähigkeiten in Kombination mit seinem kompositorischen Hintergrund, ermöglichen Gerhards authentischen, persönlichen Sound.
Stilistisch bewegt sich das Album zwischen Jazz, Blues, Pop und moderner Fusion – ein Klangkosmos, der über konventionelle Genregrenzen hinausreicht.
Die thematische Entwicklung jedes Tracks baut auf einem Leitmotiv auf, ähnlich wie in der Filmmusik, was einen erfrischenden Ansatz im Fusion Jazz darstellt bei dem Virtuosität oft die kompositorische Tiefe überlagert.
Anika Nilles’ polyrhythmisches, dynamisch ausgefeiltes Spiel akzentuiert die kompositorischen Ideen Daums.
Egal, ob Sie ein Fan von modernem Fusion Jazz, rhythmusgetriebener instrumentaler Musik oder expressivem Jazz sind – diese Veröffentlichung zeigt das Können beider Künstler auf beste Weise.
Flugelhorn & Strings – Jazz meets Classic
Album release February 2025
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Pressestimmen: Mannheimer – Nachrichten
Instrumentalalbum Flugelhorn & Strings von Gerhard Daum
Der preisgekrönte Komponist und Multiinstrumentalist Gerhard Daum kombiniert auf beeindruckende Weise jazzige Flügelhorn-Klänge mit klassischen Streicherarrangements und schafft damit eine einzigartige atmosphärische Klangwelt.
Ein Klang, der berührt
Das Flügelhorn, bekannt für seinen warmen, samtigen Klang, steht im Zentrum des Albums. Es übernimmt nicht nur die melodische Führung, sondern begeistert durch seine improvisatorischen Passagen, die mit kontrapunktischen Streicherorchestrierungen verschmelzen. Die Stücke laden zum Nachdenken und Verweilen ein, während sie stimmungsvolle Klangbilder erzeugen – perfekt für Momente der Ruhe und Reflexion.
Jazz trifft Klassik
Das Konzept von Flugelhorn & Strings vereint komponierte Themen mit improvisierten Passagen. Dabei gelingt es Gerhard Daum, eine Brücke zwischen Jazz und klassischer Musik zu schlagen. Seine Musik zeichnet sich durch Tiefe und Emotionalität aus und spricht sowohl Fans von instrumentaler Jazzmusik als auch Liebhaber klassischer Arrangements an.
Aufnahme in Berlin, Veröffentlichung über ToneWork Records
Das Album wurde in Berlin aufgenommen und erscheint auf dem Independent-Label ToneWork Records, das 2025 sein 30-jähriges Bestehen feiert. ToneWork Records ist bekannt für qualitativ hochwertige Produktionen im Bereich Contemporary Jazz, Electronic Music und Filmmusik. Damit bietet das Label die ideale Plattform für ein Album, das künstlerischen Anspruch und Emotionen miteinander vereint.
Gerhard Daum, award winning composer and multi-instrumentalist, presents his new album FLUGELHORN & STRINGS. The instrumental compositions combine elements of classical and jazz music with contemporary film score string arrangements.
A sound that touches
The flugelhorn, known for its warm, velvety sound, is at the center of the album. It not only takes the melodic lead, but also inspires with its improvisational passages, which merge with contrapuntal string orchestrations. The pieces invite you to think and linger while they create atmospheric sound images – perfect for moments of peace and reflection.
Jazz meets classical
The concept of Flugelhorn & Strings combines composed themes with improvised passages. Gerhard Daum succeeds in building a bridge between jazz and classical music. His music is characterized by depth and emotionality and appeals to both fans of instrumental jazz music and lovers of classical arrangements.
Recorded in Berlin, released via ToneWork Records
The album was recorded in Berlin and will be released on the independent label ToneWork Records, which will celebrate its 30th anniversary in 2025. ToneWork Records is known for high-quality productions in the areas of contemporary jazz, electronic music and film music. The label therefore offers the ideal platform for an album that combines artistic standards and emotions.
Liner Notes
Gerhard Daum – flugelhorn, string arrangements
Label – ToneWork Records
Recorded – GDME Studio Berlin
Gerhard Daum Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerhard_Daum
Ambient Waves – Neoclassical Solo Piano
Full album release September 2024
In the realm of neoclassical music, where the boundaries between classical tradition and contemporary exploration often blur, Gerhard Daum masterfully navigates this space with his latest release, “Ambient Waves” by the artist label ToneWork Records.
Recorded on a prepared and modified piano at GDME Studio in Berlin, this album immerses listeners in a soundscape inspired by the element of water, creating an auditory experience that is both soothing and evocative.
An invitation to reflect, meditate, and find solace in the sounds of the world.
Review by Kathy Parsons
Ambient Waves – Neoclassical Solo Piano is a collection twelve original piano solos composed and performed by the award-winning German composer and multi-instrumentalist, Gerhard Daum. Recorded on a prepared and modified piano at GDME Studio in Berlin, the album offers an invitation to reflect and meditate as well as to simply enjoy the beautiful music inspired by the element of water. A “prepared piano” can mean a lot of different things, but in this case, some of the pieces have a more “felted” and muted effect than others; a few allow sounds from the inner workings of the piano to come through and become part of the music. All twelve tracks are slow and peaceful, allowing the music to easily slip into the background, but it is also descriptive and emotionally complex, making it easy to get blissfully lost in with full concentration. All twelve tracks are between two and three minutes, so they present a series of musical vignettes. I have reviewed quite a few of Gerhard Daum’s albums and love the expressive quality of his music. Along with his recordings, Daum is an award-winning film music composer who writes music for US and European films and TV. Much of his music has a very visual feeling along with expressing deep emotion.
Ambient Waves begins with “Seaside Walk,” a relaxed and tranquil piece that sets the tone of the album. The rhythmic sounds from inside the piano resemble a drum played with brushes, moving at an easy walking tempo. “Natural Spring” is a little bit livelier, but is also more ambient – very beautiful! Going in a different direction, “Distant Shores” is darker and more mysterious. This one would easily fit into a suspenseful movie soundtrack! “Morning At the Beach” is something I have experienced quite often, and this piece captures the calm beauty and soft colors of the early hours by the water. Daum makes beautiful use of reverb and the internal sounds of the piano on “Rain Droplets,” which is also very ambient. “Water Blossoms” captures the hypnotic motion of waterlilies or some other aquatic flowers as they move to the rhythms of a body of water – profoundly peaceful yet somewhat unpredictable. For me, “Ocean Serenity” perfectly expresses the feeling of walking on the beach and realizing that you can let go of any stress and just breathe. “Low Tide” is a magical time when the ocean reveals many of the mysteries that lie just below its surface. The piece with that title moves slowly, undulating like the movement of some of that sea-life – hypnotic. “Reflecting Waves” is one of the most ambient of the tracks – very still, peaceful and soothing. It’s a great close to an outstanding album!
Ambient Waves – Neoclassical Solo Piano is excellent from the first note to the last and is available to stream or download from Amazon and Apple Music/iTunes as well as on many streaming platforms including Pandora and Spotify. Very highly recommended!
Album & Soundtracks
