Susan Weinert Band

Susan Weinert Band - The Bottom Line - 1996 - Intuition

Definitely more straight jazz than jazz fusion on this release. If you like guitarists like Louis Stewart, Allan Holdsworth, Scott Henderson, Frank Gambale, & Bill Connors, then give this album a listen. This is a "quieter" and mellower album than other Susan Weinert releases, but her phrasing is wonderful, and Rachel Z plays some great keys that perfectly complements Susan and her band's grooves. An album that proves that fusion guitarists do not have to blow out your ear drums in order to impress their fretboard skills on you. This is a very good jazz album that is very technical, but very accessible. If you want to become more interested in fusion or jazz, this is an album that will help you appreciate this often maligned genre. Check out Susan Weinert Band's "Crunch Time" album on this blog and buy the band's "Mysterious Stories" album and support real music. Jazz and/or jazz fusion is not necessarily elitist, aimless, or self indulgent music. Multi-instrumentalist John Zorn composed a song called 'Eat Shit Jazz Snob" to expose his dislike of the many misguided, and hypocritical jazz snobs out there. The "News for Lulu" album featuring John Zorn is well worth hearing. Also, try and listen to the late, great Emily Remly's "Firefly" album [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 122 Mb]

TRACKS

1 Hombre 6:37
2 Triple X 4:21
3 Tribute to Fitzcarraldo 8:30
4 Don't Smile Too Soon 5:00
5 Masters of the Midiverse 1:19
6 That's for You 4:24
7 Kluski Theory 6:03
8 Dakota Kid 6:13
9 Nothing 3:50
10 Trabucco 5:05
11 Vinnie 7:11

All tracks composed by Susan Weinert

MUSICIANS

Susan Weinert - Guitars
Martin Weinert - Bass
Rachel Z - Piano, Keyboards
Hardy Fischötter - Drums

BIO

Susan Weinert (b.24 June 1965 in Neunkirchen (Saar) is a German Jazz guitarist and composer. In the 1980s, she started her professional career as a jazz musician. Susan took lessons from the jazz musicians Dave Liebman, Richie Beirach and the brilliant John Abercrombie and Mike Stern. She is not only influenced by modern guitarists like Pat Metheny, Scott Henderson, and Allan Holdsworth, but also from traditional jazz musicians like Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Wes Montgomery and Sonny Rollins. Susan received an invitation to play in the band Steps Ahead by Mike Mainieri and was also asked to play with Chick Corea, bassist Jimmy Earl and Chaka Khan keyboardist Michael Ruff. In 1985 she founded the Susan Weinert Band with her husband Martin Weinert as bassist and the Cologne drummer Hardy Fischötter. The band, in it's early stages played mostly covers, but by 1990 Susan was writing and playing original material. Her first CD Mysterious Stories released in 1992 contains all Susan Weinert compositions and is strongly influenced by the use of an electric guitar synthesizer. Susan plays jazz, fusion, rock and funk and her compositions leave room for improvisation by her band members. Her guitar playing displays catchy melodies over complex harmonies backed by powerful, rhythmic lines. In Germany her work has been critically acclaimed. The popular WDR radio station chose Mysterious Stories as Jazz Production of the Year. Her second CD Crunch Time in 1994 is strongly reinforced by keyboardist Oliver Heuss and the album is more hard rock orientated than her first album. In contrast, the sound of Susan's third album, The Bottom Line (1996) is much calmer and warmer, mainly due to the piano playing of Rachel Z. Her 1999 CD Point Of View from 1999 is slightly jazzier and more experimental than previous albums and places a greater emphasis on using acoustic instruments. Susan wanted to experiment with a larger ensemble on this album, and make greater use of horn work. Originally the album was going to make extensive use of saxophone and trumpet. However, after meeting vocalist, Michael Schiefel the trumpet parts were replaced by his vocals. Pierre Bertrand played tenor saxophone and Jean Yves Jung played some beautiful rich and warm piano. However, throughout all her albums Susan's great guitar playing remains the dominant force. In 2002, Susan released the live acoustic duo album, Synergy with her husband Martin Weinert. The Susan Weinert Band is currently active recording and continually tour Europe. The band has also played in the U.S, Africa and Asia. The Weinert's are also engaged in managing workshops for young musicians - (Translated from Wiki)