Sindelfinger newspaper 10.04.15 by Thomas Volkmann
New CD with Branko Arnsek and his jazz band 

Swinging spring feelings
Branko Arnsek, jazz bassist from Sindelfingen, feels very well in two styles: Cuban and Latin American music and the Gypsyswing. The latter he indulges on the recently released CD "#One" with the Guttenberger Brothers from Stuttgart.
On "#One" the Guttenberger Brothers embark on a musical journey through time to the jazz world of the 1930s and 40s. They also like to combine traditional Sinti and Manouche jazz with casually swinging pieces by Charles Trenet, Ed Motta and Harry Warren, or incorporate a piece by Roger Cicero. Supported are solo guitarist Mano Guttenberger, his brother Knebo on rhythm guitar and Branko Arnsek of Stefan Koschitzki on alto saxophone and flute, Frank Eberle on piano and Christoph Raff on drums.
Twelve pieces are gathered on the Silberling of the 2011 founded formation, five are from the pen of Arnsek. In them, the 55-year-old double bass player not only shows compositional qualities, but also proves himself to be the author of German-language texts. This passion is not brand new.
Already on the CD "Mari Gidli", recorded in 2001 with the Zigeli Winter Quintet, there was already a piece by Arnsek with "Lieder für dire", whose lines are the inspiration for the songs that are now on the Guttenberger album. It says: "We make songs for you as in old times / and we have never looked back / (...) This is music that lies with us, that gives each of us something, a bit of warmth and heart / and sometimes something Pain."
The vocal interpreter, however, is not Arnsek himself, but rhythm guitarist Knebo Guttenberger, who was at times frontman of the Bundesjugendjazzorchester. In the best crooner style and with a soft and intonation-proof voice, he sings about spring fever, soup dinners, tavern visits, chips and beer at the "Tatort" shows and other life-giving sensibilities. Former classmates of Branko Arnsek at Pfarrwiesengymnasium may puzzle over whether they could be meant when the play is talking about a best friend. Socially critical is it in "I had dreamed", imagined in the Arnsek a world free of egoism and xenophobia. "Hart & Herzlich", on the other hand, is one of two instrumentals on the album "#One" and, like the Django Reinhardt original "Artillerie lourde", follows the typical style of the unforgettable French jazz guitarist.

info
The album Guttenberger Brothers "#One" is available through the 59music music publisher
(www.59music.com) by Branko Arnsek.

BRANKO ARNSEK 

MUSICAN - COMPOSER - PRODUCER - TEACHER