Description
The band members once spent tango nights in Buenos Aires. They returned from a daring trip across the Balkans with a Gitanesque swing. They sailed through the Aeolian Islands on the trail of ancient myths, climbed lava-spewing volcanoes in Iceland and celebrated triumphs in the Carnegie Hall of New York’s jazz metropolis.
And it was also travel that inspired the musicians on their new album Happy Deluxe:
„On the Greek islands, we found the magnetic 80s song Erotiko by Nikos Xydakis. We developed an instrumental arrangement from it and shot a video on Santorini: the vastness of the Aegean, ancient statues and our hands on the instruments.”
Most recently, the virtuosos toured Brazil, intoxicating themselves with pulsating samba, lively chorinho and sunny bossa nova. They roamed through jungles to the wild beaches of the island of Ilha Grande, where the song of the same name was composed.
Several times they found the world’s best Caipirinha – not only on the Copacabana – and paid homage to it with a relaxed little song.
In Rio de Janeiro, they rehearsed for days in the shimmering midday heat, swarmed out in the evenings, threw themselves into the scene and then went into the studio: daring improvisations, sometimes swinging high into the buzzing air, sometimes diving into glittering seas, sometimes chillingly spun in daydreams and night owls.
The result is the new album HAPPY Deluxe.
Quadro Nuevo:
„Our music has always been created from experiences and encounters. We were fascinated by the cheerfulness and friendliness of many people in Brazil. It colored our new songs. This is also how the title of the album came about. We are well aware that the everyday lives of many people are anything but carefree. Nevertheless – or precisely because of this – even in times of crisis and war, music can offer a positive alternative world.“
In their sonic homage to moments of happiness, Quadro Nuevo also remembered hits such as Happy (Pharrell Williams) and Don’t Worry, Be Happy (Bobby McFerrin) and rearranged them to their own taste.
Accordionist Andreas Hinterseher:
„We added pieces like Ada’s Song, which arose from turning to life-affirming personalities from our own biographies.
I wrote Here and Now for my grandfather. He was blessed with a subtle mischievousness and indestructible cheerfulness. At 90, he was still building launch ramps for model gliders. He always lived in the present, always with the greatest enthusiasm. Until the very last day.”
The band’s history and line-up:
Childhood friends Mulo Francel and Didi Lowka founded the ensemble Quadro Nuevo in 1996. Since then, the adventurous musicians have traveled to countless places and explored a wide variety of playing styles. This has earned them two ECHO awards, a gold record, the German Record Critics’ Award, several jazz awards and the European Impala.
With the extravagant and witty accordionist Andreas Hinterseher and the pianist Chris Gall, who shines with a lavish wealth of ideas, they live their music in the here and now. This is reminiscent of four fellows carefree playing music in the southern town squares and fairs. This is what happened in the early days of Quadro Nuevo.
The new album’s horizons are broadened by the characters and compositions of the artists who regularly perform with the band:
New York-born vibraphonist Tim Collins, with whom Quadro Nuevo will play a US tour in fall 2024.
Paulo Morello, a specialist in Latin guitar who has toured with many of the greats of bossa nova and heads the jazz department at the Berlin University of the Arts.
The exceptional young guitarist Philipp Schiepek and the extravagantly grooving percussionist Marco Lobo, whom the musicians had the pleasure of meeting in Rio.
The musicians:
Mulo Francel tenor sax, clarinets, mandoline, whistle, flute, tenor recorder
Andreas Hinterseher accordion, vibrandoneon, trumpet, flugelhorn, trombone
D.D. Lowka bass, percussion
Chris Gall piano, harpejji, pandeiro
Tim Collins vibraphone, voice, drums, shaker
Paulo Morello jazz guitar, spanish guitar, cavaquinho
Philipp Schiepek jazz guitar, spanish guitar
Marco Lobo Brazilian percussion
recorded 2023 at Estudios Mega Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) by Sergio Careca
and at Dorian Gray Studios Munich (Germany) by Philipp Winter & Michael Vockinger
mixed and mastered by Philipp Winter
cover art by D.D. Lowka
The songs:
1 Quadro Samba (Chris Gall) 4:04
2 Caipirinha (Mulo Francel) 3:29
3 Morello Beach (Paulo Morello) 6:44
4 Tender Melody (Mulo Francel) 4:50
5 Erotiko (Nikos Xydakis) 5:34
6 Ipanema Calling (Andreas Hinterseher) 4:33
7 Pervenche (Philipp Schiepek) 4:39
8 Ada’s Song (Mulo Francel / Didi Lowka) 6:33
9 Ilha Grande (Chris Gall) 3:55
10 Rio Sunrise (Chris Gall) 4:06
11 7 to 1 (Paulo Morello) 5:13
12 Here and Now (Andreas Hinterseher) 5:24
13 Happy (Pharrell Williams / arr. Mulo Francel) 3:59
14 Before your Eyes were Open (Tim Collins) 5:01
15 Bei den Jupaú (Chris Gall) 3:52
16 Don’t Worry, Be Happy (Bobby McFerrin / arr. Chris Gall) 3:57
Quadro Nuevo: HAPPY Deluxe is available as a CD, a double vinyl album and digitally:
