MATTI KLEIN SOUL TRIO

What is soul? A rousing style of music, say some. An overwhelming feeling, say others. It is what makes us unmistakable, according to the English dictionaries.

Each of these definitions applies to the Matti Klein Soul Trio, but the latter describes the essence of the trio, which was founded in 2017, particularly well.
Because in the Matti Klein Soul Trio, three soul mates have come together in the name of groove, treading an independent path beyond the much-danced paths of Hammond organ trios. The warm Wurlitzer sounds of band leader Matti Klein, who has already graced the most important jazz clubs in New York, Tokyo, London and Paris with the funk-jazz formation Mo' Blow and the Brazilian yacht-pop heavyweight Ed Motta, are at the heart of the sound.

The comforting deep tones of a 1973 Fender Rhodes piano bass are a unique selling point of the group, as is the precise use of sound effects by tenor saxophonist and bass clarinettist Lars Zander. The elastic playing of drummer André Seidel ensures that the trio's other specialty, their unabashed preference for odd meters, is literally not to be taken lightly.

Prominent soul gourmets such as BBC radio legend Robert Elms and singer Max Mutzke swear by the trio's songs, in which vibrant soul-jazz and the instrumental funk of The Meters or The Crusaders are organically juxtaposed with hip-hop elements or spacy post-rock. And the media response to the band's previous albums and live shows (including in Haiti, Finland and on a UK tour) also speaks for itself. "It grooves immensely", is the verdict of Deutschlandfunk, while the British Jazzwise magazine states: "A new, smoking' hot twist on the much-loved organ trio format. They deserve to be huge everywhere!"

Line-up: Matti Klein (wurlitzer, rhodes, b); Lars Zander (cla, sax); André Seidel (dr).