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TOBIAS CHRISTL Wildern:Young German Jazz ACT9673-2

1. Sound Of Silence

2. Anywhere I Lay My Head

3. Take On Me

4. Video Games

5. Avalanche

6. Love Will Tear Us Apart

7. König von Deutschland

8. Toxic

9. Dead End Street

10. I Will

11. Blue Monday

Don't Talk (Put Your Head On My Shoulder)

Tobias Christl - Vocals, effects

Peter Ehwald - Tenor sax, clarinet

Sebastian Müller - Guitar, effects

Matthias Akeo Nowak - Bass

Etienne Nillesen - Drums

Guest: Simin Tander - Vocals (track 8)

Tobias Christl, now in his mid-thirties, is a new generation German vocalist. This CD is the first time I've heard him and in many ways it was an extraordinary experience. He is virtually unclassifiable. At times, given the range of his voice and his capacity to simply soar, he can sound like a soul singer. I noticed that on the sleeve there is a reference to Deutschlandfunk and, indeed, that element can also be found here. In addition, though, he is an accomplished scat singer, as evidenced on Anywhere I Lay My Head, Avalanche and Don't Talk (Put Your Head On My Shoulder). A jazz inflection can be heard often on this disc. Dead End Street has a distinct touch of the blues about it, for instance, and Christl's fellow musicians demonstrate that they know what they are doing, in creating the right ambience for his vocal talents. Tenor saxophonist Peter Ehwald shines throughout. He can be heard on clarinet on I Will, a brief but lilting ballad with a memorable tune, and on Blue Monday, both to good effect. The rhythm section provide reliable support. I liked Sebastian Müller's rock-inspired guitar on the Leonard Cohen song, Avalanche, in particular, and his notable efforts on Take On Me. Simin Tander, the guest vocalist on Toxic, reminded me very much of Paloma Faith and that can't be bad!

It should be said that Tobias Christl's choice of material is drawn from the pop and rock back catalogue so that Tom Waits, Paul Simon, Ian Curtis, Ray Davis and Brian Wilson can be found among the credits. Overall, my favourite tracks were Anywhere I Lay My Head,Dead End Street and Don't Talk (Put Your Head On My Shoulder). By contrast, Video Games and Kö nig von Deutschland come across as somewhat eccentric, if fun. On occasions, too, there are patches of instrumental cacophony. Yet there is far more to praise than criticise about this CD. The sounds and songs linger long after the initial listening has taken place and Tobias Christl with his eclectic and versatile style is a real find.

James Poore

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