HESSE BETWEEN MUSIC

For their fourth album, Between had made something special. Selected texts by Hermann Hesse should be the focus of the album, presented by Gert Westphal and musically complemented and framed by Between. The whole thing was probably mainly an idea of ​​"Jazz Pope" Joachim-Ernst Berendt, who has been organizing projects under the motto "Poetry & Music" (or "Jazz & Poetry") since the early 1950s. Berendt not only produced "Hesse Between Music" but also selected the lyrics.

Lyrics and music in "Hesse Between Music" are so balanced. Westphal reads (speaks) excerpts from Hesse and Between make music. The music of the group represents a similar mixture of jazz, Indian, classical and a trace of electronic, as on the previous discs. The music is a bit more varied, however, with meditative, hypnotic-hymnic soundscapes,and simple improvisation. The mood of the music adapts to the respective Hessetexten, which sometimes turned out poetic-word-painting, sometimes humorous-direct, occasionally ironic, almost sarcastic. By and large, the group succeeds in finding the right mood and merging text and music into a single unit. A little put on and imposed on the whole but in places, something intentional intellectual. Since the music is often subordinated to the lyrics, it sometimes seems a bit pale and simple, just like accompanying music.

"Hesse Between Music" offers an interesting tightrope walk between music, poetry and lyric. The Italians of Pholas Dactylus had a similar concept, but with a much more rock-oriented "accompaniment music". Who appreciates their only album, has something for Hesse and the contemplative Indojazz (rock) of Between mag, should also check out "Hesse Between Music"!