Quotations about the music of Matthias Broede:

"This is a very interesting and different approach to using the harmonica in jazz. With a giant like Toots around, it is hard to escape the shadow but Matthias has accomplished that admirably on this recording." Dave Liebman

"The world of Matthias Broede – schooled musician pianist composer harmonica virtuoso: I can only applaud Matthias and his friends. I enjoy and I learn. What more to expect from a recording…?" Toots Thielemans

The special thing about this group’s sound is the rich range of timbres it has in store, with chromatic harmonica, piano and guitar. The intriguing compositions by Matthias Broede, pieces by Th. Monk, B. Strayhorn, J. Coltrane, E. Pierranunzi, J. Mitchell and L. van Beethoven – all of this combines to create a programme between the traditional and the modern, a programme that, for all its multifacetedness, still displays a consistent line.

Volker Heinze and Roland Höppner have long since gained renown far beyond the borders of the Cologne region, thanks to their participation in numerous concerts and productions, including with Stefan Bauer, Uli Beckerhof, Gunther Hampel, Eric Vloeimans, Jürgen Friedrich, Kenny Wheeler, Charlie Mariano, Reiner Witzel and Lew Soloff.

Ralph Beerkircher is a prizewinner of jazz competitions in Leverkusen, Leipzig and Getxo (Spain). He works with such musicians as Gerry Hemingway, Steven Berstein, Celine Rudolph, Claudius Falk, Christian Thomé and Frank Wingold.

Paul Heller is one of the leading musicians in European jazz. ‘His red-hot sound’ (Ulrich Olshausen) and his ‘harmonically demanding melody’ (Michael Brecker) have in recent years made him a sought-after musical partner for musical figures as diverse as Johnny Griffin, Bob Brookmeyer, Ack van Rooyen, and many others.