The German jazz pianist Henning Schmiedt revisits his 2008 solo debut Klavierraum with Klavierraum, später out today on Flau Records. A mainstay for the prolific Japanese label, this will be Schmiedt’s sixth solo release. “Klavierraum” translates as “piano room” with “später” meaning “later.” The pianist explains:
“Klavierraum is the place where my piano is, but it’s also a virtual space and spiritual shelter whenever needed – it immediately appears when I am playing piano, floating in sound and resonating with melodies. In my concerts, I feel this ‘Raum’ is embracing and covering me, the piano and my whole audience.
Klavierraum, my very first solo piano album, tells a story of arranging a tea time for a rendezvous. Nachher is like a sequel sometime later on – this time it’s about preparing for a surprise morning coffee with my favorite pancake!
For the new album, I used previously unpublished material of the original Klavierraum session. Some parts were recorded later on, but in the same setting and similar spirit.”
Indeed, Schmiedt’s “raum” seems to be an embracing presence every time he plays the piano. It’s a place of calm introspection and more than just inviting one in for a sonic respite, the musician’s playing itself establishes the room’s serene environment. On “2 Reife Mangos,” the ripe fruit is truly cause for celebration as lush melodic runs burst with succulent flavor. But, it is the measured calm surrounding these joyous outbursts that are truly wondrous to behold as they impart that sense of equilibrium that seems so essential to Schmiedt’s compositions.
