Recommended: Konrad Bogen Trio – “United”

This is one of those albums that’s exuding all kinds of cheerfulness, so that no matter what it gets into, the music is gonna be plenty likeable.  United switches between old-school blues strolls and modern jazz harmonic binges, and those transitions, whether seamless or jarring, is a big part of the fun.  For three of the album’s five tracks, this happens within the duration of each song.  It’s particularly fascinating how it plays out on “In a Bus,” which mashes up conflicting expressions out of the Red Garland and Esbjorn Svensson schools of music, yet binds them up by their shared melodic bonds, solemn and serene when not pouring dramatically from the mouth of the bottle.  But then there’s also the old vs. new of subsequent tracks “Over the Rainbow” and a Kendrick Lamar cover of “These Walls.”  Parked bumper to bumper, and yet the trio finds a way to keep a sense of cohesion throughout.

The trio is led by pianist Konrad Bogen, a young musician from Germany who seems to have his hands in a number of different projects.  This is a promising sign of things to come.  Also, worth noting that he’s got this EP on his Bandcamp page set to Name Your Price, which should provide some extra incentive to check this music out.

Just really easy to like this one.

Your album personnel:  Konrad Bogen (piano), Mischa Frey (bass) and Samir Böhringer (drums).

The album is Self-Produced.

Listen to more album tracks at the artist’s Bandcamp page.

Jazz from the Konstanz, Germany scene.

Available at:  Bandcamp