Fabian Willmann - saxophon
Jeff Ballard - drums
Arne Huber - bass
The second album of the Fabian Willmann Trio “Freedom” is a surprise. The record sounds anthemic, not hectic. It celebrates melody, not abstraction, dispenses with extravagance and concentrates on musical common ground.
“I wanted to keep the songs as simple as possible and create a state in which the band doesn't have to think about the music, but can let it happen,” the saxophonist Fabian Willmann from Freiburg, who lives in Berlin, says. 'Letting it Happen', rather than 'Making It Happen' really could be the credo for the album and if the result is the coalescence of a common sound effect, then the virtuosity can also be in the detail.
Jeff Ballard, for example, plays complex drums without it being noticeable. The Californian is a generation older than Fabian Willmann and became known as the drummer for Ray Charles, Chick Corea and the Brad Mehldau Trio. He likes to play to the beat and ornament within the structure. This fits in well with a team that values communication. There are stories in his fills, he is a narrative drummer.
Bassist Arne Huber compliments the trio. His tone is embracing, warm in character and therefore ideal to bracket the combination of Ballard and Willmann. A harmony instrument is not necessary. Huber's volume of sound and his complementary line formation, Ballard's versatility on the whole and on the large scale offer the saxophone the freedom to play little but important things.