Benyamin Nuss & Ludwig Nuss - Songs And Ballads (2018)

Two instruments, two musicians - father and son - a duo debut album with songs and ballads. Two who understand each other and are obviously familiar with musical ease.
The eleven tracks on the album by trombonist Ludwig and his son Benyamin Nuss on the piano are all in a floating, flowing state of an "easy listening" style. There are no big musical challenges, none for the listener, but everything seems very focused and of high musical and playful quality. Anyone who experiences the new album can indulge in the smooth euphony.

As easy as the album is the derivation. Benyamin Nuss' label "PurrCat Music" is publisher, they met for years with different formations in the recording studio and at home they continued playing, interpreting, experimenting until well into the night. After a working day at the WDR Big Band, it must be more than a passion for Ludwig Nuss to work with the son on the duo album together. For us, the music is preserved, for the two musicians hang many memories and moments of it. But with a little imagination, we also succeed in participating. The remarkable, it is said in the accompanying text, moreover, was with all takes, that they were recorded without making any subsequent corrections and cuts. From the same mould!
Eight of the pieces are interpretations of standards, the other three are original compositions by the father (Gentle Jun), sometimes by the son (Bad Day and Your Decision).

In fact, the "Songs & Ballads" belong to those creations that come when the day is long gone. If the evening has other stories to tell - in a smaller circle - and has passed hectic everyday moods in a relaxed joy of life, then this music has also arrived at his listeners. Benny Nuss has a lot of fun on these quiet evenings, because he also knows the others, the big, full classical halls. In Japan, he played his repertoire "Nuss plays Uematsu", which transforms music from video games into a classical context in front of over 10,000 mostly young listeners. With the same-named CD, he even came in the classical charts. Both classical and jazz are a natural accompaniment to the pianist.

So the album "Songs & Ballads" convinces not only because of the two fantastic musicians, but also because it is cheerfully mood-compliant, because it shows that good music does not need new exceptional inventions, not at all costs the uniqueness in the center must be, but a considerable amount of pure passion and passion. On this album, there are standards that can be nostalgic, that have a longing, sometimes intoxicating sound and just indulge in the audience. Incidentally, the extremely creative original compositions are no exception.