Rue de Paris

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Rue de Paris

"Rue de Paris provides instantaneous views on an ignored and almost forgotten world close to silence, full of irresistibly beautiful poetry, depth, admirable sensitivity, and expressive intensity." (Alexander Schmitz / Jazzpodium). Rue Protzer´s project "Rue de Paris" is about the discovery and development of a unique color in jazz - breathing, quiet, poetical.

Protzer has convincingly realized his ideas on "Quiet Motion", his debut CD with Sony. The album presents quiet and meditative music which creates an extraordinary emotional density. It is a "Praise of Slowness" (SPIEGEL/Kulturspiegel), which critics celebrated as a "masterpiece" (Jazzpodium).

Much of the appeal of "Quiet Motion" rests on Protzer´s lyrical guitar playing. But the album also features a group of four outstanding musicians. First of all there is certainly Thomas Rückert, Germany´s leading jazz-pianist, who responds to Protzer´s floating lines with intelligent and transparent phrasings. John Goldsby on bass and Adam Nussbaum on drums are reliable (and swinging!) sidemen who add their individual coloring. The recording finally owes some of its most magical moments to the warm sound of Ack van Rooyen on flugelhorn, who appears as guest on two tracks of the CD.

Protzer does not see "Rue de Paris" as a radical re-interpretation of jazz, but as an organic evolution of its language, which needs to prove itself with a new and significant rendition of the classical jazz repertoire. Protzer tellingly names Keith Jarrett´s "Standards Vol. 1" and "Vol. 2" as key influences on his approach. "It is the run-of-the-mill standard repertoire, but played so much more openly, so different from what any pianist has done before".

The five standard tunes on "Quiet Motion" (e.g. "Giant Steps" by John Coltrane or "Crystal Silence" by Chick Corea) prove that Protzer is Jarrett´s legitimate heir - both as soloist and bandleader. The other four selections of the album are original compositions which clearly referr to the Jazz tradition of the 1950s and 60s. But Protzer is also a trained classical guitarist, composer and conductor and therefore well aware of the European musical heritage. It comes as no surprise that his compositions tend to augment the traditional jazz idiom with delicate textures which normally characterize classical chamber music.

With the second "Rue de Paris" album "New York Slow" (2007), Protzer takes his approach one step further. The CD presents again both original compositions and standards such as "Central Park West" by John Coltrane, Steve Swallow´s "Falling Grace" or "Peace" by Horace Silver, which are played in the transparent and breathing style which is the trademark of the "Rue de Paris" project.

Protzer understands his concept of considerate and focused improvisation as a conscious counterpoint relative to the speed of today´s instantaneous communication. This was already palpable on "Quiet Motion" but has become even more prominent on "New York Slow". Protzer´s music is always thoughtful but never escapist - it confronts contemporary reality. Choosing the Avatar Studios in Manhattan for the recording was one of the consequences. "The title of the album is a deliberate antithesis to the common cliché of New York", says Protzer. "Before I went into the studio, I spent a couple of hours in Central Park. The Park is the opposite of the surrounding frantic city yet it is also an integral part of it." The paradox of breathing silence within a breathless world characterizes the improvised chamber-music of "New York Slow".

Protzer´s choice of sidemen reflects the determination to hold this tension. Lee Konitz on saxophone certainly comes from a more lyrical tradition. But Randy Brecker and (again) drummer Adam Nussbaum have their roots in fusion and jazz-rock. For both of them, participating in the "Rue de Paris" project presents a wonderful opportunity to break new musical grounds.

"Rue de Paris" is a project in progress which puts Protzer´s fundamental idea of creating jazz-poetry from silence into ever changing contexts. New York provides a strong, contrasting backdrop, but Protzer is already planning further ahead. "Many things are possible", he says, " the affinity of "Rue de Paris" to classical music is obvious, but silence is also a recurring topic in western and eastern poetry". There will be more milestones to pass on the "Rue de Paris".