German radio station DLF broadcast with recordings made last year in the chamber music hall of Deutschlandfunk and released as a recording in 2023.
“A large cast of jazz musicians from NRW came together in June 2022 for last year’s third Kammermusiksaal production. Cologne-based saxophonists, composers and big band leaders Caroline Thon and Christina Fuchs were invited to record the first album of their Fuchsthone Orchestra with this all-star formation.
Their interpretation of the big band format is very refreshing. Of course, their top-notch ensemble masters traditional sectional playing. At the same time, however, Fuchs and Thon have been able to recruit distinctive individualists from NRW’s jazz scene, including, for example, vocalist Filippa Gojo, alto saxophonist Roger Hanschel, Matthias Muche, trombone, violinist Zuzana Leharovà, guitarist Andreas Wahl and Jens Düppe on drums. Christina Fuchs and Caroline Thon succeed in bringing out the soloistic qualities of their band members in a captivating way. Repeatedly, small duo or trio constellations emerge from the overall framework and they shine with captivating improvisations. The Fuchsthone Orchestra also stands out sonically from the big band mainstream, partly due to the samples and live electronics contributed by Eva Pöpplein. Especially impressively, the group dynamics of the Fuchsthone Orchestra unfold live. However, the two leaders have found a solution to capture this energy in the studio as well.”
For anyone who still wants to hear the feature in its original form (only in german)
