artist’s statement (by Thomas Gansch)
The name, „Gansch & Roses“ was given to me about ten years ago by a neighbour at the „Goldenen Ochsen“ inn in Melk. He was not aware of the significance of this nickname invented during a „Colarot“ (a drink made of red wine and cola) intoxication.
Since this memorable day, it has been clear to me that my band, no matter how it looks, had to bear this sonorous name. An event comparable only to the moment when Elwood Blues saw the light.
a story behind every song…
Tom & Jerry
Der Himmel ist blau, das Wasser ist nass, und die Katze jagt die Maus.
Roses are red, violets are blue and the cat chases the mouse.
5er to Don Ellis
Eine Hommage an den großen Don Ellis, Übermittler der Freude, Herr der ungeraden Taktarten, Schutzpatron der Exzessiven.
A tribute to the great Don Ellis, conveyor of joy, master of irregular time signature, guardian angel of the excessive.
Endlich allein
endlich allein…
Alone at last…
Confuse a Waltz
ist die Geschichte einer gescheiterten Liebe, in der besonders gut die angenehmen Seiten der Depression zu hören sind. oder, um mit Florian Bramböck zu sprechen: Kitsch as Kitsch can.
The story of a failed love story in which one hears, particularly clearly, the agreeable side of depression. Or, as Florian Bramböck would say, kitsch as kitsch can be.
Flozirkus
Der phantastische Brambini, furchtloser Bezwinger der Schwerkraft, schwingt sich grazil von Trapez zu Trapez – natürlich ohne Netz!
The fantastic Brambini, the fearless conqueror of gravity, swings graciously from trapeze to trapeze. Without a net of course!
Cop Girl
ist die Geschichte einer jungen Frau, die ein gefährliches Doppelleben führt: Tagsüber jagt sie Verbrecher und abends spielt sie im örtlichen Musikverein das Flügelhorn.
The story of a young woman who lives a dangerous double life: on days, she hunts criminals and on nights, she plays the flugelhorn at the local concert hall.
Call & Response
„Herzog“ Ellington and „Karl“ Mingus walk along Vienna’s Ringstrasse on a gloomy Monday afternoon and talk about Viennese cuisine…
Eric, Flo & Harry
die freifliegende Wurstigkeit mit Kunstverstand,
das künstlerische Fliegen der wurstigen Freiheit,
die fliegende Wurst in der freien Kunst.
Dem Verständigen ist freilich nichts Wurst was fliegt,
der Verstand fliegt, wurst, was die Freiheit kann.
Fliegende Kunst mit verständigen, freien Würsten für alle künstlerischen Fliegen – Eric, Flo und Harry fliegen immer wieder…
Well, this one was quite impossible to be translated by any of us, so we kindly ask you to maybe attend a German Class, since it really would be worth it, even just for this little paragraph…!
Steirer 3er
Augen zu und auffi am Berg! Für Linde, Resi, Inge, Vinzi, Hias, Hermann junior & Hermann Härtel.
Eyes closed and over the mountains! For Linde, Resi, Inge, Vinzi, Hias, Hermann junior and Hermann Härtel.
producer’s notes
Austrian folk music meets Don Ellis, Duke Ellington and Charles Mingus. Thomas Gansch is a member of the VIENNA ART ORCHESTRA, co-founder of MNOZIL BRASS and a member of the SALONORCHESTRA ALHAMBRA. On „Gansch & Roses“ he takes every possible detour in pursuit of a higher ground.
Jazz is a bastard. Still some musicians and music scientists especially are in search for what they think to be the „pure lore“ of jazz or at least they think that there can not be any more innovations in jazz and consequently try to declare jazz a retrospective form of music. But: Jazz – as said – is a bastard. And it is alive as can be, if only he is granted his life as a mixture of styles and influences.
So: Who was it to think that jazz would be the American way of musical expression per se? Maybe it is all completely different! Maybe Charles Mingus was born in Lower Austria and his name was Karl? And Herzog Ellington was only called „Duke“ after a short vacation in the States. And just look at how Tom and Jerry love and hate themselves at the same time: So this most famous couple in the cartoon world most definitively must be Austrian. You just have to look, sorry: listen, a little closer.
One who can listen very carefully is trumpet player Thomas Gansch. The coarse as well as the fine tuning he learned with MNOZIL BRASS, with Mathias Rüegg and the Vienna Art Orchestra he achieved high honours. On „A Centenary Journey“, the QUINTON CD among the VAO-releases, recently honoured with the „German Critics Price 02/2002“ he contributed the first two compositions on the album.
And so on his Debut album „Gansch & Roses“ Thomas Gansch mixes Tango, Eric Dolphy, The Viennese Waltz as well as Shostakovich, some Austrian Folk Dances and Don Ellis.
Just as James Bond used to say, „Shaken, not stirred“.
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Line-Up
Thomas Gansch – trp, fluegelhorn, comp, arr
Thorsten Benkenstein – trp
Dominik Stöger – trb
Ed Partyka – btrb, tuba
Florian Bramböck – cl, ss, as
Harry Sokal, ss, ts
Herwig Gradischnig – ts, bs
Georg Breinschmid – b
Mario Gonzi – dr
