stefan heidtmann & friendsfeaturing

sandra klinkhammer voc oscar kliewe tp stefan heidtmann comp, p, keyb andré nendza b martell beigang dr

Stefan Heidtmann Studied piano (classical) at the Cologne University of Music. Projects as a pianist and composer between contemporary chamber music and open, European-influenced jazz brought him together with Gerd Dudek, Reiner Winterschladen, Dieter Manderscheid, Roger Hanschel, Albrecht Maurer, Arkady Shilkloper and Klaus Kugel among others. He has released numerous productions on his own record label shaa-music. Prize-winner at the jazz a r t festival 2002 with the Stefan Heidtmann Project. Tours in Europe and Latin America (including a German contribution at the EURO-Jazz Festival in Mexico City 2002). 2011 First prize-winner of the cultural promotion prize for the Oberberg district.

Sandra KlinkhammerAfter studying clarinet, she turned to her voice and studied jazz vocals at the Folkwang University in Essen. During this time, she started to compose and develop her concept for a band. In this formation she recorded her first CD „Engelzungen“ (produced by Jojo Mayer) and toured with the quartet throughout Germany. Television appearances (e.g. on zdf neo)

Oscar Kliewe He studied jazz at the Anheimer Konservatorium. Since then he has been switching seamlessly between the important styles of jazz and pop. He also works as a successful arranger and producer. He is also actively working as a guitarist and percussionist in various projects.

André Nendza The André Nendza Quintet, the pop band A.tronic, the collective project tria lingvo and the duo with Angelika Niescier are consistently impressing the public and critics. He works as a sideman (including for the Philipp van Endert Trio) and a number of ensembles of various styles. His work has been documented on 60 CDs, radio and TV recordings as well as featuring in all jazz media. In 1997 he was presented with an award by the SK Foundation. 2009 finale at the „New German jazz prize“. In 2012 he won the Echo in the category of instrumentalist of the year, national bass/jazz. Since 2007 he has been the author of a blog in the Jazzthing magazine.

Martell Beigang Drummer, singer, composer and producer. He studied at the Cologne University of Music and was involved with jazz and rock in equal measure - on more than 60 sound recording mediums. He toured with the cult band „m. walking on the water“. He achieved double platinum with Dick Brave & the Backbeats. The „Swinger Club“ gave a new impetus to the German jazz scene. As a busy studio musician, featuring on many Wollie Kaiser and Klaus König CDs, he was a musical partner of David Sanborn, Dave Liebman, Toots Thielemanns and Randy Brecker. Rock am Ring, Montreux Jazz Festival, Cologne Jazzhaus Festival, Jazz Festival Bucharest, Zurich Jazz Festival, Solo Duo Trio Krakow mark key points from his live work. In 2015 he wrote his third novel „Viel Lärm um mich“.

Contact: Stefan Heidtmann • Wiedeneststraße 52 • 51702 Bergneustadt • GermanyFon +49 226145398 • Fax +49 2261 47596 • mobile +49 171 304 3010

www.stefanheidtmann.com • stef@nheidtmann.de

„It is as if the music were alive...“ Pianist and composer Stefan Heidtmann has found a format which perfectly implements his ideas. Lyrical, melodic, down-to-earth, a cross-over between jazz and pop, the pieces are presented as items of jewelry with recognition value. The New York poet and performance artist Steve Clorfeine contributed to the texts.

Stefan Heidtmann & FriendsReactions to the «fields» 2015

Olaf Maikopf in the „Jazzthetik“ 4/3/2015:

„...as leader he therefore expresses himself very melodically and so lyrically, tenderly opening up his jazz for atmospheric pop moments. To convincingly realize this concept, Heidtmann assured the collaboration of singer Sandra Klinkhammer. (...) She enthralls with her big voice …an atmospheric aural journey through nine wonderful, tightly interwoven pieces. Music to properly lose yourself in, music to dream by.“

Volker Doberstein at the Jazzpodium 03/2015:

With „Fields“, „Stefan Heidtmann & Friends“ have set up a new marginal project that can be described as multifariously and artfully deconstructed lounge jazz. The band is excellent, the sound is complete because he embraces the gaps, Sandra Klinkhammer‘s voice is powerful, however does not distance itself too far from the expressiveness of the instrumentalists, easy listening quotes are appreciatively deconstructed, sometimes merely through refusing to trivialize the individual tone. Clever, flowing and conceptional, without being too cerebral. This is worth listening to.“

Jochen König on «musikreviews.de» 4/11/2015: (13 out of 15 points)

„Waiting, letting oneself fall, giving space to silence, eliciting sunshine from the endless autumn, but also forsakenness and isolation are subjects of the lyrics from „Fields“, the project by the Bergneustadt pianist Stefan Heidtmann and his friends. The music creates the appropriate soundscapes, becomes one with the lyrics, but also separates itself at appropriate points to give

space to individual participants.

Sandra Klinkhammer, acually a trained clarinetist, is an unpretentious singer. Her light, clear voice, only a hint of breath, which is necessary to allow secrets and depth to appear possible, is a splendid carrier for the richly suggestive, short sentence constructions. The accompanying music understands the power of omissions and pauses but does not miss the chance to strongly emphasize other moments. This gives every instrumentalist space, either as soloist or frontman, to shine as a partner on equal terms. But the song-focused context is barely departed from, the solos are succinct, intense, atmospheric and possess that substance which extends well beyond the lulling easy-listening sound, which is also particularly valid for collaborative work. The pieces remain pleasantly edgy, with at times sinister undertones, particularly when Stefan Heidtmanbassist uses more supporting keyboard instruments at once. Together with André Nendza, they achieve enthralling sets („Homage“). It casually evokes PAT METHENY in highly concentrated moments, but also the soundtrack work of MILES DAVIS and MARK ISHAM interspersed with the expressive trumpeter Oscar Kliewe.

„…finally I hear my own quiet/the moment between shadow and darkness/what I reach for has no name“ – „Blue Days“. More jazz than pop, with plenty of soul, STEFAN HEIDTMANN & FRIENDS are the ideal accompaniments through all the midnight hour blues.

CONCLUSION: „Fields“ is an album with an exquisite sound that tiptoes like stylish lounge jazz, yet with discreet borrowings from pop. This lounge, however, has a back door, through which you get glimpses of a dark maelstrom, before you step in and are swallowed up.“

new CD »fields«

JazzSick records 5080 JSwww.jazzsick.com