Structucture by Roger Kintopf

Roger Kintopf

Structucture

Price: € 17.95
Format: CD
Label: Double Moon Records
UPC: 0608917137620
Catnr: DMCHR 71376
Release date: 29 May 2020
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Label
Double Moon Records

UPC
0608917137620

Catalogue number
DMCHR 71376

Release date
29 May 2020

"... Full of energy, improvisational spirit and dynamics experiment the four in the wide field of jazzy dramaturgy. Mr Mingus would certainly have liked the result."

Inmusic, 01-8-2020

Album

Artist(s)

Composer(s)

Press

About the album

Do ensembles sound different under the leadership of a bassist? Is the rhythm perhaps more tiresome? Or do the leaders with the large wooden body of the bass in their hands pay more attention to shape and structure? Charles Mingus is regarded as the pioneer of an entire species that has emancipated itself from the background to the front, consciously seeking the spotlight to turn its own ideas and fantasies into tones and sound. One of Mingus's compositions was titled “Better Get It In Your Soul”. The essence of the bassist Mingus consisted of a wealth of ideas and at least just as much powerful energy. As an interpreter in his own right, every bassist has since been classified per se as a threat to every regular commercial operation. For good reason. Because when bassists get in the driving seat, it is no longer about swing in a well-groomed walking bass pulse, but about adventurous excursions into hitherto undiscovered worlds of music.

Bassists such as Mingus, but also Dave Holland, Barry Guy, Barre Philipps and currently Robert Landfernmann or Peter Eldh made it possible for ostinati suddenly to become a melody or shaping structure, a principle that Bela Bartok and Bruno Maderna had already practiced in modern classical music for a long time. However, this largely remained a neglected field in jazz. Bassist Roger Kintopf is only 21 years old. The native of Darmstadt has lived in Paris since 2019 when he continued this path at the Conservatory with the great Riccardo Del Fra; courageous, curious, full of ideas and fresh concepts. He began playing electric bass at the age of eleven, then switched to double bass, played in the Hessian State Youth Jazz Orchestra, in the Federal Jazz Orchestra from 2016 to 2018 and studied at the same time at the Cologne University of Music under Dietmar Fuhr, Dieter Manderscheid and Jonas Burgwinkel.

His second album (following the trio CD “GLÄÜO” with Ambach and Fox in 2016) bears the title “Structucture” and unites four individuals whose musical approaches merge during their first common encounter. This creates music that would probably have Charles Mingus’ blessing: full of energy and gripping despite the many finely branched structures. When the

Dane Asger Nissen (alto saxophone), Victor Fox (tenor saxophone), Felix Ambach (drums) and Roger Kintopf make music, their concentrated energy produces a mighty and creative powerhouse. The concentrated interaction of the four moves between fast pulses and idle phases, which are controlled and processed equally by each.

In his liner notes for “Structucture”, the Vibraphonist Christopher Dell makes comparisons with the Gerry Mulligan Quartet (with Chet Baker) and the Jimmy Giuffre 3 (with Bob Brookmeyer). Like the two legendary ensembles, Kintopf and Co. also dispense with harmony instruments. Instead, they bet on the melody. The compositions are based on strong structures, rhythms and harmonies, which drive the two saxophonists Victor Fox and Asger Nissen into a vibrating, exciting game of deception, at the end of which the two horns act once with each other and then again against each other and sometimes even sound like one instrument. This is precisely why Felix Ambach and Roger Kintopf cannot be reduced to the role of a mere rhythm group in any phase. They participate in the musical process every millisecond and consequently create the basis for a playing attitude in which the overall sound of the band and the freedom of each individual are both equally in the foreground.

The basis for this consists of eight finely structured songs composed by Roger Kintopf. For example, “Frostburn” demonstrates to Christopher Dell “how the superimposition of a 7/4 bar and a 6/8 feeling provides a special rhythmic grid. A counterpoint theme unfolds on it, which — despite actually being a broken phrase — brings the ostinato back into the melodic as a modular structure.” Roger Kintopf, Asger Nissen, Victor Fox and Felix Ambach (drums) only at most suggest speed modulations, such as in “Damn Good Coffee”. Due to the extremely variable handling of the instruments, new timbres are constantly created in this way. Those who listen closely to “Structucture” will set off on an exciting, delightful auditory journey full of exciting moments. This is how the jazz of the 2020 generation sounds: young, challenging and approachable as well as emotional despite its intellectual aspects.
Thank you LOFT and 2ndFLOOR e.V. for supporting young artists with your recording project and making the recordings of Structucture happen. Thank you Dieter Manderscheid, Frank Gratkowski, Hans Martin Müller, Dr. Benedikt Müller and Stefan Deistler. Thank you Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes for the support and for making it possible to release our music on CD.

Klingen Ensembles unter der Führung eines Bassisten anders? Rhythmus lastiger vielleicht? Oder achten die Leader mit dem großen, hölzernen Basskorpus in ihren Händen eher auf Form und Struktur? Charles Mingus gilt als Vorreiter einer ganzen Spezies, die sich aus dem Off ins On emanzipiert hat, ganz bewusst das Spotlight sucht, um eigene Ideen und Fantasien in Ton und Klang umzusetzen. Eine von Mingusʼ Kompositionen trug den Titel „Better Get It In Your Soul“, übersetzt in etwa „Verinnerliche es lieber“. Das Wesen des Bassisten Mingus bestand aus überbordender Gedankenfülle. Und mindestens ebenso gewaltiger Energie. Als Interpret in eigener Sache wird jeder Bassist seither per se als Gefahr für jeden kommerziellen Regelbetrieb eingestuft. Aus gutem Grund. Denn wenn Bassisten das Steuer in die Hand nehmen, dann geht es schon längst nicht mehr um Swing im gepflegten Walking-Bass-Puls, sondern um abenteuerliche Exkurse in bis dato unentdeckte Welten der Musik.
Bassisten wie Mingus, aber auch Dave Holland, Barry Guy, Barre Philipps und aktuell Robert Landfernmann oder Peter Eldh machten es möglich, dass Ostinati plötzlich zur Melodie oder formgebenden Struktur wurden; ein Prinzip, das Bela Bartok oder Bruno Maderna schon lange in der modernen Klassik praktizierten. Der Jazz war in dieser Hinsicht aber noch ein weitgehend brachliegendes Feld. Gerade mal 21 Jahre jung ist der Bassist Roger Kintopf. Seit 2019 lebt der gebürtige Darmstädter in Paris, um am Conservatorium beim großen Riccardo Del Fra diesen Weg fortzusetzen; mutig, neugierig, voller Ideen und frischer Konzepte. Schon im Alter von elf Jahren begann er, E-Bass zu spielen, wechselte dann zum Kontrabass, gehörte dem LandesJugendJazzOrchester Hessen sowie von 2016 bis 2018 dem Bundesjazzorchester an und studierte zur selben Zeit an der Hochschule für Musik und Tanz in Köln bei Dietmar Fuhr, Dieter Manderscheid und Jonas Burgwinkel.

Sein zweites Album (nach der Trio-CD „GLÄÜÖ“ mit Ambach und Fox aus dem Jahr 2016) trägt den Titel „Structucture“ und vereint vier Individuen, die bei ihrer ersten gemeinsamen Begegnung ihre musikalische Spielhaltung ineinanderfließen lassen. Dabei entsteht Musik, die wahrscheinlich auch Charles Mingusʼ Wohlwollen gefunden hätte: voller Energie, zupackend, trotz der vielen verästelten Feinheiten. Wenn der Däne Asger Nissen (Altsaxofon), Victor Fox (Tenorsaxofon), Felix Ambach (Drums) und Roger Kintopf musizieren, dann ergibt ihre gebündelte Energie ein mächtiges Kreativ-Kraftwerk. Das konzentrierte Zusammenspiel der vier bewegt sich zwischen schnellen Impulsen und Ruhephasen, die von jedem gleichermaßen gesteuert und verarbeitet werden.

In seinen Linernotes für „Structucture“ weckt der Vibrafonist Christopher Dell Vergleiche mit dem Gerry Mulligan Quartet (mit Chet Baker) und der Jimmy Giuffre 3 (mit Bob Brookmeyer). Wie die beiden legendären Ensembles verzichten auch Kintopf und Co. auf Harmonieinstrumente. Stattdessen setzen sie auf die Melodie. Die Kompositionen gründen auf starken Strukturen, Rhythmen und Harmonien, die die beiden Saxofonisten Victor Fox und Asger Nissen in ein vibrierendes, aufregendes Vexierspiel treiben, an dessen Ende die beiden Hörner einmal mit und dann wieder gegeneinander agieren und manchmal sogar wie ein eigenes Instrument klingen. Gerade deshalb lassen sich Felix Ambach und Roger Kintopf zu keiner Phase auf die Rolle einer bloßen Rhythmusgruppe reduzieren. Sie wirken zu jeder Millisekunde am musikalischen Prozess mit und schaffen so die Basis für eine Spielhaltung, bei der sowohl der Gesamtsound der Band wie auch die Freiheit jedes einzelnen gleichberechtigt im Vordergrund stehen.
Die Grundlage dafür bilden acht feingliedrige Kompositionen aus der Feder von Roger Kintopf. „Frostburn“ zum Beispiel demonstriert für Christopher Dell, „wie die Überlagerung von 7/4-Takt und 6/8-Feeling ein besonderes rhythmisches Raster offeriert. Auf ihm entfaltet sich ein kontrapunktisches Thema, das als eigentlich gebrochener Satz das Ostinato gerade als modulare Struktur ins Melodische zurückholt.“ Tempomodulationen deuten Roger Kintopf, Asger Nissen, Victor Fox und Felix Ambach (Drums) allenfalls nur an, wie etwa in „Damn Good Coffee“. Durch die überaus variable Handhabung der Instrumente entstehen auf diese Weise immer neue Klangfarben. Wer sich „Structucture“ zu Gemüte führt, der begibt sich auf eine spannende, reizvolle Hörreise voller aufregender Momente. So klingt der Jazz der 2020-er Generation: jung, herausfordernd und bei aller Intellektualität nahbar und emotional.
Thank you LOFT and 2ndFLOOR e.V. for supporting young artists with your recording project and making the recordings of Structucture happen. Thank you Dieter Manderscheid, Frank Gratkowski, Hans Martin Müller, Dr. Benedikt Müller and Stefan Deistler.
Thank you Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes for the support and for making it possible to release our music on CD.

Artist(s)

Roger Kintopf (bass)

Roger Kintopf is a bassist and composer. Raised in a musical family, he has gained on-stage experience since being a child. After getting classical piano lessons for a few years, he already won his first awards at the competitions „Jugend Musiziert“ and „International Rotary Pianocompetition“. After spending his early years on the piano, Kintopf switched to the electric bass which eventually became his gateway to the double bass. Over the past few years Roger Kintopf has established a strong voice within the German Jazz scene, playing and having performed with artists as Loren Stillman, Travis Reuter, Billy Test, Frank Gratkowski, Jonas Burgwinkel, etc. Roger works as well as a sideman in small and large ensembles featuring guest stars like Kit Downes, Christian...

Roger Kintopf is a bassist and composer. Raised in a musical family, he has gained on-stage experience since being a child.

After getting classical piano lessons for a few years, he already won his first awards at the competitions „Jugend Musiziert“ and „International Rotary Pianocompetition“. After spending his early years on the piano, Kintopf switched to the electric bass which eventually became his gateway to the double bass.

Over the past few years Roger Kintopf has established a strong voice within the German Jazz scene, playing and having performed with artists as Loren Stillman, Travis Reuter, Billy Test, Frank Gratkowski, Jonas Burgwinkel, etc. Roger works as well as a sideman in small and large ensembles featuring guest stars like Kit Downes, Christian Lillinger, Evan Parker, etc.

Kintopf played in New York with the Youth Jazz Orchestra of Hessen in 2015 and has been a member of the German National Jazz Orchestra (BuJazzO) 2016-2018, whereby he toured through Ecuador and India in 2017. With a variety of bands, he has played concerts in Germany, France, Netherlands, Poland, Czech Republic, Switzerland, USA, Ecuador, India and Nepal.

Roger has studied at Hochschule für Musik und Tanz in Cologne with Dieter Manderscheid, Dietmar Fuhr and Jonas Burgwinkel from 2016 to 2018. Since 2019, Roger has been based in Paris, continuing his studies abroad.

Roger Kintopf has played at festivals and locations like Jazzfest Bonn, Eldenaer Jazz Evenings, Plush Music Festival, Stadtgarten Cologne, Altes Pfandhaus Cologne, Philharmonic Hall Cologne,

Philharmonic Hall Essen, Bimhuis Amsterdam, etc.

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Victor Fox (tenor saxophone)

The German tenor saxophonist was born in Seligenstadt. There he took his first musical steps, taking lessons at the local music school. Since 2016 he studies at the Johannes Gutenberg University of Mayence with his teachers Claudius Valk, Sebastian Sternal and Jesse Milliner. From 2011 to 2019 he was a member of the „Hessian State Youth Jazz Orchestra“ and from 2016 to 2018 he was a member of the „National Jazz Orchestra of Germany“ under the direction of Jiggs Wigham and Niels Klein. During the past eight years, Victor has had the chance to play international tours in countries like USA, Ecuador, China, Russia, India, Poland, England, Lithuania and Latvia. During these concerts and tours he was performing with many well-known musicians like...

From 2011 to 2019 he was a member of the „Hessian State Youth Jazz Orchestra“ and from 2016 to 2018 he was a member of the „National Jazz Orchestra of Germany“ under the direction of Jiggs Wigham and Niels Klein.

During the past eight years, Victor has had the chance to play international tours in countries like USA, Ecuador, China, Russia, India, Poland, England, Lithuania and Latvia.

During these concerts and tours he was performing with many well-known musicians like Dianne Reeves, Diane Schuur, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Norma Winstone, Evan Parker, Branford Marsalis, Nils Landgren, Jiggs Whigham, Alexander von Schlippenbach, Kit Downes, Peter Brötzmann, Christian Lillinger, Christopher Dell, Frank Gratkowski, etc.

He can be heard on eight studio records.

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Asger Nissen (alto saxophone)

The Danish alto saxophonist, Asger Nissen, moved to Berlin in the fall of 2017. With a personal strong sound of emotional, energetic, curious and yet controlled and versatile style of playing, Asger Nissen has already established a strong name within the Jazz and Avant Garde circles of Berlin and Germany, playing and having performed with artists like Jim Black, Jonas Westergaard, Otis Sandsjö, Bernhard Meyer, Wanja Slavin, Felix Henkelhausen, Uli Kempendorff, Christopher Dell etc. “Nissen is an excellent improviser who knows how to combine abstraction with singable emotions. Especially his composing is a strong trademark of his, with long dramaturgical arches that reveal a certain spiritual closeness to Tim Berne.” - JazzThing, 2020. He has performed and toured in a broad variety...

“Nissen is an excellent improviser who knows how to combine abstraction with singable emotions. Especially his composing is a strong trademark of his, with long dramaturgical arches that reveal a certain spiritual closeness to Tim Berne.” - JazzThing, 2020.

He has performed and toured in a broad variety of countries; Denmark, Sweden, Germany, Poland, Austria, Switzerland, England, and the US, as well as having performed at the major european jazz festivals: Jazz Baltica, North Sea Jazz, and Copenhagen Jazzfestival.

Before moving to Berlin, Asger Nissen was an active voice of the Copenhagen Jazz scene, amongst others with the award winning Avant Garde Sextet, ALAWARI.

Asger Nissen is currently doing his Bachelor studies at the prestigious Jazz Institut Berlin (JIB)/ Universität der Künste. At the JIB, he has been under close and personal guidance by Professors Greg Cohen (US, bass), Peter Weniger (DE, saxophone), and Douglas Weiss (US, bass) as his main educators.

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Felix Ambach (drums)

Felix Ambach, born in Bensheim (Germany), started his musical journey playing classical drums and percussion repertoire. He successfully participated in a variety of competitions focusing on this particular style of music.   After a few years of focusing on his skills as a jazz drummer, he moved to Cologne in 2016 in order to study with Jonas Burgwinkel. Very quickly he established a strong name as a supportive and reliable drummer with a strong, energetic and emotional sound, and soon he became one of the most demanded drummers within the local and national Jazz-scene. He has been playing with musicians like Pablo Held, Loren Stillman, Sebastian Gille, Felix Henkelhausen, etc. He was the drummer of the „National Jazz Orchestra of Germany“ from...

He was the drummer of the „National Jazz Orchestra of Germany“ from 2017 to 2019, whereby he played tours in countries like Germany, Great Britain, Albania, Montenegro and Bosnia- Herzegovina. After his studies in Cologne, he moved to London in 2018, in order to study at the Guildhall School of Music with James Maddren and Stan Sulzman. In 2019, living in Cologne again to finish his studies with Jonas Burgwinkel, Felix is still deeply connected to the London Jazz- scene, playing with several bands consisting of musicians from all over Great Britain.

He was playing and touring in a broad variety of countries like Germany, Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, Great Britain, Poland, Czech Republik, Montenegro, Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, etc.

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Composer(s)

Roger Kintopf (bass)

Roger Kintopf is a bassist and composer. Raised in a musical family, he has gained on-stage experience since being a child.

Roger Kintopf has played at festivals and locations like Jazzfest Bonn, Eldenaer Jazz Evenings, Plush Music Festival, Stadtgarten Cologne, Altes Pfandhaus Cologne, Philharmonic Hall Cologne,

Philharmonic Hall Essen, Bimhuis Amsterdam, etc.

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Press

... Full of energy, improvisational spirit and dynamics experiment the four in the wide field of jazzy dramaturgy. Mr Mingus would certainly have liked the result.
Inmusic, 01-8-2020

... The quartet oscillates between heated conversation and decelerated, carpet-like expansion. Remarkable self-conception characterizes the cross-linking of compositional calculation and improvisational freewheeling...
Concerto, 01-8-2020

... The structures of the single songs seem to be interlaced, you notice that you are absolutely far away from any beautiful sound, here spontaneous activities and emotional outbursts determine the moment. And so many creative moments are lined up to form an entertaining whole...
musikansich, 28-7-2020

... Roger Kintopf doesn't make it easy - like the majority of bassists who, as the head of a band, translate their fantasies into sound. At just 21 years of age, the Darmstadt native, who lives in Paris, chooses a middle course between tradition and modernity...
Jazzthing 07 08 2020, 06-7-2020

... At times you seem to miss the usual emotional moods, the music then seems quite intellectual, yet not cold at all, but also a little bit "cool" in this sense again, something I have to spontaneously associate with the music of Jimmy Giuffre. Therefore - very modern, very sophisticated, very demanding, very creative...
Musikansich, 23-6-2020