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Jazz trumpeter, arranger, composer and bandleader Simon Ploetzeneder, born in 1987 in Upper Austria, keeps himself occupied as a freelance musician and sought-after sideman in a wide variety of jazz line-ups in the music scene of the Austrian capital, Vienna. The debut album by the Simon Ploetzeneder Quartet "145th & St. Nick's," released in 2017, is a homage to New York and Ploetzeneder's formative time at the Manhattan School of Music. New York, the epicentre of jazz, left a deep impression on the young trumpeter and continues to strongly influence his musical work to this day. For more than ten years now, Simon Ploetzeneder has been living and working in his adopted city of Vienna, to which he dedicates his second album "Vienna Vibes”. For his new album, he was fortunate enough to engage DannyGrissett, one of the world's most sought-after jazz pianists, who has worked with greats such as Tom Harrell, Nicholas Payton, Freddie Hubbard and Roy Hargrove. Danny Ziemann from New York on double bass and the drummer Jonatan Sarikoski from Finland complete the international quartet.
Lineup:
Simon Ploetzeneder Trompete, Flügelhorn, Komposition
Danny Grissett Klavier
Danny Ziemann Kontrabass
Jonatan Sarikoski Schlagzeug
All four musicians have chosen Vienna as their habitat and thus share with the composer not only a passion for jazz but also an appreciation for the Austrian capital. The love for Vienna and also an acknowledgement of the city's past is apparent in songs like "Vienna Vibes," "Imperial Legacy" and "Mazzes-Island Groove". The song "Mazzes-Island Groove" alludes to the composer's life in Vienna's second district, an area characterised by a strong Jewish presence and thus became colloquially known as Mazzes Island. "Imperial Legacy,” as its name suggests, deals with the imperial past of Vienna, whereas the title song "Vienna Vibes” projects the rhythm of the city in the here and now. In this album, the past and the present of a city merge into one entity and are skillfully treated, reinterpreted and adapted in the music by a symbiosis of tradition and modernity. As soon as the four musicians begin to play, a captivating energy and musical exchange emerges that can be felt and heard. Anyone who has experienced the quartet live knows how exciting, explosive and dynamic this ensemble is."You notice immediately whether you fit together as a band or not. I deliberately chose this group of individuals because I imagined that it would be a good fit. When we played together for the first time, I was completely overwhelmed by how well we actually complemented each other, and the energy was apparent in the room. I think we all felt that way at that moment. t's a great feeling when you have chemistry with each other and hopefully the audience can sense it too!"
Simon Ploetzeneder
