Jasper van't Hof & George Gruntz - Fairytale (2015) [Hi-Res]

„Fairytale“ takes us on a journey through a fantastical musical landscape. A 21-piece brass band and leading European-based musicians enliven this whimsical escapade of six van’t Hof and two Gruntz compositions. Highlights include Gruntz’s Cinderella Friday Night with its funky bass line, hip counterpoint and intermingling of jazz and rock. Filomeel and Procne brings the age of classic romanticism back and feature Jasper’s emotive acoustic piano solo; the piece refers to the dark Greek myth of rape, infanticide, and cannibalism. The story continues as the two sisters are transformed into a Swallow and Nightingale. Jasper continues on piano with a high-flying solo. The Rat Catcher is a quirky piece with a loping-looping bass line and the brass taking staccato jabs at the synth. 1001 Night has the synth running chromatic lines into a horn orchestration that could be out of a Fellini film. Challenging, beautiful arrangements, unusual instrumentation, and great solos make for a richer Fairytale than Disney could ever imagine.

Jasper Van't Hof, piano, synthesizer, Fender Rhodes, drums
Jan Akkerman, guitar
George Gruntz, synthesizer, Fender Rhodes
Ken Wheeler, flugelhorn, trumpet
Tony Oxley, percussion

Digitally remastered