Benny Troschel Quartett

The Benny Troschel Quartet consists of Benny Troschel on the trumpet, Valentin Steinle on the drums, Neil Richter on the bass and Sebastian Wappler on the piano. Benny Troschel introduces his new album, which offers a fascinating mix of tradition and modernity.

**The new album: FOLKSMUSIK**

Benny Troschel’s new album “FOLKSMUSIK” brings together two young, masterful bands: Troschel’s German septet and his American quintet. “The album is a tribute to our transatlantic friendship, it is about the dance of opposites and the coming together of dualism,” explains the trumpeter and composer. Troschel decided that the American band should play the German plays and the German band the American songs “in order to musically show the mutual respect, love and ties of both nations.” For the New York quintet, I arranged the music in the traditional Tin Pan Alley style.

There are old hits to be heard in one of the most iconic jazz styles. The Cologne septet, on the other hand, uses hip-hop and various modern jazz forms.

The combination of old and new, the fusion of different genres, creates a unified whole, which impresses with excellent musical skills and Troschel's highly appreciated trumpet sound.

About Benny Troschel

Benny Troschel, who grew up in Germany, started playing trumpet at the age of six. “I always admired the trumpet as it was a very powerful, golden and elegant instrument for me,” he recalls. His youthful performances were highly appreciated, and his early success led to a bachelor's degree at the Manhattan School of Music in New York. “I fell in love with the US and still feel very much at home in both America and Germany,” he says.

**Musical highlights of the album**

“I interpret folk music through jazz,” says Troschel, “every band pays tribute to the other nation, and iconic songs like ‘Oh Susanna’ and ‘Hoch auf dem Gelben Wagen’ come together.” During the founding years, many Germans emigrated to the USA and brought along beer brewing culture, pretzels and German city names. In the last century, two major wars shook the world and the American-German relationship. But 'Lili Marleen', originally a German song, was sung by soldiers on both sides. It shows the connections in a complex way.

The album contains unique adaptations such as “Trizonesia”, a post-war carnival tune, and “Veronika, the Lenz is there”, a popular song of the 1920s. The African-American spiritual “Ezekiel saw the wheel” and the American revolutionary song “Chester” are also part of the repertoire. In “Jessie James” the theme of the Wild West is taken up.

**Recordings and Criticisms**

The recordings of the quintet took place at the renowned Rudy Van Gelder Studio in New Jersey, while the septet was recorded in Cologne. “FOLKSMUSIK” has already received great reviews. Dick Oatts (saxophonist) praises Troschel's talent and his selection of musicians, Tony Kadleck (trumpet player) compares Troschel's trumpet sound to that of Miles Davis, and Marcus Printup (trumpet player) describes the arrangements as "amazing".