Sindelfinger Zeitung, April 10, 2015, by Thomas Volkmann
New CD with Branko Arnsek and his jazz band

Swinging Springtime Feelings

Branko Arnsek, a jazz bassist from Sindelfingen, feels particularly at home in two styles: Cuban and Latin American music, and Gypsy swing. He indulges in the latter on the recently released CD "#One" with the Guttenberger Brothers from Stuttgart.

On "#One," the Guttenberger Brothers embark on a musical journey back to the jazz world of the 1930s and 40s. They enjoy blending traditional Sinti and Manouche jazz with laid-back swing pieces by Charles Trenet, Ed Motta, and Harry Warren, and even include a piece by Roger Cicero. Lead guitarist Mano Guttenberger, his brother Knebo on rhythm guitar, and Branko Arnsek are supported by Stefan Koschitzki on alto saxophone and flute, Frank Eberle on piano, and Christoph Raff on drums.


#One Twelve tracks are featured on the CD by the group, founded in 2011, five of which were written by Arnsek. In these songs, the 55-year-old double bassist not only demonstrates his compositional skills but also distinguishes himself as a writer of German lyrics. This passion isn't entirely new.

Arnsek's song "Lieder für euch" (Songs for You), recorded in 2001 with the Zigeli Winter Quintet, already appeared on the CD "Mari Gidli." Its lyrics serve as inspiration for the songs now gathered on the Guttenberger album. The lyrics include: "We make songs for you like in the old days / and we've never regretted it / (...) This is music that suits us, that gives each of us something, a little warmth and heart / and sometimes a little pain."

However, the vocalist is not Arnsek himself, but rhythm guitarist Knebo Guttenberger, who was also, for a time, the frontman of the German National Youth Jazz Orchestra. In true crooner style, with a smooth and pitch-perfect voice, he sings about spring fever, instant soups, pub visits, chips and beer while watching "Tatort" (a popular German crime drama), and other everyday feelings. Former classmates of Branko Arnsek at Pfarrwiesen Gymnasium (a high school) can ponder whether they might be the subject of the song's reference to a best friend. The song takes a socially critical turn in "Ich hatte geträumt" (I Had a Dream), in which Arnsek imagines a world free from egoism and xenophobia. "Hart & Herzlich" (Hard & Heartfelt), 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 Guttenberger Brothers album "#One" is available from 59music Music Publishing

(www.59music.com) by Branko Arnsek.