CC JOP – Christoph Cech Jazz Orchestra Project 'Staunen', 'wonder', 'amazement' (A)

In their numbers, Christoph Cech and his orchestra play their way through colorful musical landscapes that are free of any stylistic restrictions. There is no lack of gripping dramatic moments, which build up like waves, or of soloistic interludes ranging from dignified to artistic, which nestle perfectly and extremely atmospherically into the slowly building arcs of tension.

What determines the action is an incredibly lively back and forth, one that ranges from calm and soulful quiet passages that get under your skin to wonderfully intense outbursts and rocking interludes through to quirky experiments, funky tunes and fat brass sections. What is particularly impressive is the ease with which the orchestra plays its way through the demanding pieces, how it allows Christoph Cech's stories to really flow and gives the immense musical diversity an accessible and, above all, very coherent form.

Christoph Cech and his jazz orchestra deliver a musical spectacle in a class of its own, one that will not leave you untouched and really grabs you in the most beautiful way. The sound, the pieces and the melodies that are played invite you to dive deeper and let yourself be carried along - through a musical world that simply amazes you. (Michael Ternai)