Bop Explosion - Waltz for Serena (2024)

Bop Explosion is the result of musical collaboration, mutual appreciation and friendship between some top players based in Vienna. After a series of concerts with various line-ups, my desire that we would come together for a common musical project, was born.

I have been playing with the wonderful trumpet player Johannes Probst for many years, and with the incredible great team of Uli Langthaler and Dusan Novakov we have performed with the great alto saxophonist Allan Praskin, who together with the late Fritz Pauer was my earliest musical mentor.
After hearing young alto saxophonist Marton Papp who studies at the famous Music and Arts Private University of Vienna, we knew that we have found the ideal voice to complete our group, and immediately there was a tele-pathic understanding between the musicians, as you hear from how they play the themes and solos on this album. We are so glad that our favourite percussionist Andi Steirer agreed to join us in the studio and he contributes wonderful sounds and rhythm patterns to five of the tunes.

We have included 6 compositions of mine, with a wide variety of styles and moods. The title tune Waltz for Serena is dedicated to the stunning cover model, my beloved wife. Blues for Allan, how could it be else, was written for my musical mentor Allan Praskin. Little Town shows a different direction, as I was thinking about a special symbiosis between horns and percussion. With Tin Tin Deo and Lover Man we added Afro Cuban moods and one of the most beautiful ballads to complete this album.

Gerhard Schramke