GARETH REAKS COMBO

Gareth Reaks -  Vibraphon, Vocals
Olga Krasotova - Klavier
Andres Buchholz - Kontrabass
Eric Karle - Schlagzeug

Steeped in the world of classical teaching, writing and choral singing for most of his professional life, Gareth nevertheless retained his childhood  love  for the Great American Songbook and for mainstream jazz of  c.1930s to the 1960s.  Moving from England to Germany in 2012 inspired him to unpack his vibraphone, dust off his vocal cords and to rediscover the sounds of his childhood, first encountered through his parents' dance band  back in 1970s Yorkshire. "As long as Mrs Merkel allows me to stay in Germany", he says, "it's all I want to do!"

Gareth says "what luck to find our delightful "Playgirl of the Piano" - the Ukrainian Olga Krasotova! Equally at home in the classical and jazz worlds, she brings to the band an individual and flexible approach to jazz piano. Moreover, Olga injects a certain finesse, elegance and precision into the sound whilst remaining true to the jazz idiom. Whether accompanying or soloing, Olga knows instinctively what to do. I was lucky to track her down! The icing on the cake? A touch of eastern glamour in a quartet comprising  75% men!  

Gareth says "it was a joy to discover Andres Buchholz - a musician with a wonderful feeling for rhythm and harmony, superb intonation and an inborn feeling for the musical style. He can provide bounce and drive and can improvise a melodic solo at the drop of a hat. I have always admired the jazz bass player's art and I consider the band fortunate to have the strong, reliable foundation Andres provides. A wonderful musician and a very nice man!

Gareth says "Not only is Eric versatile, comfortable in all genres and a fine technician, he also has a vital quality that is perhaps fast disappearing - an innate sense of jazz swing. A natural swing feeling is essential for the style of music the band plays but not easy to find these days or indeed as easy to execute as it may seem. Happily, it took only a few seconds on listening to Eric for the first time for me to think "he's the guy!". Add to this his acute musical sensitivity and inventiveness and, well - I struck gold!