Rebecca Trescher Tentet
In March 2022, journalist Thomas Loewner of Southwest German Radio (SWR) described the Rebecca Trescher Tentet as one of the “most interesting ensembles in the contemporary German jazz scene.” This ensemble with its unusual instrumentation – and a characteristic musical language full of poetry and variety paired with clear, symphonically inspired structures – has in fact quickly established a place for itself in the German jazz scene and beyond. Breathtaking virtuoso solos alternate with six-part chorale textures, fascinating harmonies employing several saxophones, flutes and clarinets, and powerful tutti passages with cello and flugelhorn. Elements in the foreground fade away in the next moment, while delicate accompanying figures suddenly drive the music forward. The borders between meticulously composed art music and spontaneous improvisation are casually erased. And one is constantly aware of the exceptional and inspiring energy of this ensemble, which brings together some of Germany’s most outstanding musicians.
Since 2019, these nine musicians have performed with bandleader Rebecca Trescher on countless stages in Germany, Italy, Austria, and Switzerland – for example at Jazzfest Bonn, Jazzahead, Theaterhaus Stuttgart, Unterfahrt München, and the Porgy & Bess jazz club in Vienna. In 2022, the Rebecca Trescher Tentet won the New German Jazz Prize in Mannheim. In the same year, Rebecca Trescher herself was awarded the German Jazz Prize for “Composition of the Year” and was named a “Rising Star Clarinet” by DownBeat magazine’s international critics poll.
Rebecca Trescher’s compositions are characterized by a unique synthesis of jazz and avant- garde music and often take their inspiration from nature. The versatile composer and performer – who also appears as a soloist, in a duo, and with her quartet – deliberately crosses conventional stylistic borders with her improvising large ensemble. What makes this “symphonic ensemble” (as Trescher calls it) special is the fact that all of the musicians are able to constantly switch roles. Sometimes they play the melody, sometimes the accompaniment, and sometimes they are part of a harmonic element or a rhythmic ostinato. Or they take on an active solo role and float above everything. With a rich palette of sound colors, the musicians move effortlessly between musical experimentation and symphonic sonorities. With its exploration of unconventional sound worlds, the Tentet is constantly moving toward new musical horizons.
Concerts with Rebecca Trescher’s music are regularly recorded and streamed by the Bavarian Public Radio and Arte. Her compositions for the Tentet are filled with motifs – sometimes dark and shadowy, sometimes tender and optimistic – that fit seamlessly into the total concept of this group of 10 exceptional musicians. The Tentet’s first album in 2020 was an immediate success: “Paris Zyklus | The Spirit of the Streets“ is a four-part cycle inspired by Trescher’s time as Artist in Residence at the “Cité Internationale des Arts” in Paris during 2019 and 2020. On 3 May 2024, Trescher’s second recording for Enja will be released. “Character Pieces” is both grounded and ethereal, inspired by the changing aspects of nature.
The extraordinary energy and enthusiasm of the Rebecca Trescher Tentet allows the spark of musical creativity to be passed immediately from players to listeners – in moments of ecstasy as well as intimate chamber music passages.
Line-Up
Rebecca Trescher – clarinet, bass clarinet, composition, arrangement, concept
Julian Hesse – trumpet, flugelhorn
Joachim Lenhardt – tenor saxophone, bass clarinet, flute
Markus Harm – alto saxophone, clarinet
Anton Mangold – concert harp, alto saxophone, flute
Juri Kannheiser – violoncello
Andreas Feith – piano
Roland Neffe – vibraphone
Christian Diener – double bass
Silvio Morger – drums
Friedrich Betz – sound, live mixing
Press
„One of the most interesting ensembles of the current German jazz scene.“ (SWR2, Thomas Loewner 03/2022)
„Clarinetist, composer and bandleader Rebecca Trescher offers not only a personal memory of her days spent in Paris. With her tentet, she delivers a masterpiece.“ (Jazzpodium)
“May we simply declare that no one has ever composed for jazz the way Rebecca Trescher does?” (Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung)
“Rebecca Trescher is a name to bear in mind – her music should be making its mark on ears on both sides of the Atlantic.” (Münchner Merkur, 01/2023)
“Not only the way this music is executed, but also its dramatic composition reaches perfection” (Nürnberger Nachrichten, Stephan Schwarz-Peters, 11/2022)
“A harp, a cello and flutes play prominent roles in the unusual line-up of this ensemble; symphonic poems by impressionist composers such as Debussy may have been just as important an influence on Trescher’s ideal sound-world as medium-sized groups in the Afro-American tradition such as those, say, led by Charles Mingus.” (Münchner Merkur, 01/2023)
„As much as she takes her time for the detailed, sometimes intricate expositions of her themes, she lets the improvisors have their freedom. In most cases, she has invented backings that are tailored to the respective soloist. The composition offers a common framework for both conception and freedom, and the excellent improvisors turn the respective piece into a well- shaped, logical tone poem. The compositions have the character of “works” in the classical meaning of the word.“ (Benno Bartsch, Jazzpodium Feb 2022)
