Passion And Pride
Artist: Friedemann
Title: Passion and Pride
Catalog-Nr.: 76671
Format: CD
Playing Time: 47:17
Release Date: September 1999
Label: Biber Records
Distribution: Inakustik, Germany
Back in the 1970‘s Friedemann Witecka, who was born in Freiburg in south-western Germany, slung his guitar over his shoulder and set off for London, England in search of creative inspiration. The 1980‘s took him to Stuttgart where he made a name for himself as head of the Biber label and as a talent scout and producer, and above all with his own music: harmony-intensive and multicoloured instrumental works between the poles of folk, chamber music and jazz. With his impeccably beautiful sound sketches Friedemann swam persistently against the (pop) main stream and in doing so created original and high-quality accents on the German scene. His albums »Indian Summer« (1987) and »Aquamarin« (1990) reached six-figure sales and were also a success in the USA. When Friedemann moved south again in 1997 and settled in the little village of Bollschweil in the scenic paradise near the gates of Freiburg, he had to prove himself all over again as a »self-made man«: he had to re-establish himself back at home, both in human and musical terms. Friedemann made stunning live appearances with his vital four-piece band and got in touch with old fellow musicians in Alsace from Indian Summer days. Finally, a new studio with state-of-the-art technology provided him with the right platform to pursue his passion for melody and music.
With his CD »Passion and Pride« Friedemann has come full circle, not only geographically. In 1995 he recorded the multi-layered, richly arranged album »Legends of Light«, a pilot work about the Celtic legends surrounding the Belchen mountains of the upper Rhine, which anticipated the dream of his move to the Black Forest area in south-west Germany . So it was quite natural that he should carry on from there. The compositions on »Passion and Pride« stretch back even further. They reflect the sensitive flair and ease of »Indian Summer« and the melodic density and art of arrangement of »Aquamarin«. And yet this music is in a class of its own and up to the minute with its clarity and relaxed style, its enthralling musical power and its fine balance between measured solemnity and subtle wit. This music summons up lasting mental images.
With »Passion and Pride« Friedemann once more proves to us what an uncompromising studio perfectionist he is. At the same time it is his first album to arise and benefit from a live ensemble.
Musicians:
Friedemann: acoustic and electric guitars, bass, sequencing and programming
Philippe Geiss: alto and soprano sax
Emmanuel Séjourné: vibes, Marimba
Markus Faller: drums and percussion
Peter Lehel: bass clarinet
Thomas Heidepriem: double bass
Klaus Weiland: acoustic guitar
Tracklist:
01 Describing a Village (M. Faller)
02 Midsummer Eclipse (F. Witecka)
03 Tango pour quatre Elles (Ph. Geiss)
04 The Stallion’s Dream (F.Witecka)
05 Spirit of the Southern Seas (E. Séjourné)
06 Toledo IV (F.Witecka)
07 Passion and Pride (F.Witecka/P. Largounez)
08 Two ageing Matadores talking (F. Witecka/K. Weiland)
09 Septuagesima (F. Witecka)
10 Passionflower (Ph. Geiss)
