Dominik Hoyer Band - Nachtblau - Jazz Thing Next Generation Vol. 93 (2022) Hi Res

"Nachtblau" (trans.: Night Blue) already makes it clear with its title that the music on this album stands for the emotional side of jazz. The band of drummer Dominik Hoyer has a clear, transparent sound and exclusively plays the compositions of their bandleader. "I didn't want to compose typically percussion-like with faster-higher-further, but rather compose quieter things in which the emotions are the focus," the drummer formulated his artistic goal.

In Basel, the drummer met the members of his band, which consists of the trombone player Lukas Reinert, the electric bassist Marc Mezgolits and the pianist David Cogliatti. Together, the gang of four proves to be a clever and emotional storyteller who creatively exploit all facets of their line-up.

The focus is often on ballads, in which Hoyer, although he can always be heard succinctly, holds back in favor of his fellow musicians. The clear and lyrical style of Cogliatti on the piano, the sonorous sound of Reinert's trombone and the singing bass of Mezgolits constantly alternate with solo and accompanying parts and make the music tempting and varied. But of course there are also a few up-tempo pieces in the program, where they set stronger marks, such as the casual "Seven Days", the funny "Spanish Ice Cream" or the cleverly structured "Circle".