Fabian Willmann tenor sax · Arne Huber bass · Jeff Ballard drums
The Fabian Willmann Trio is presented featuring star drummer Jeff Ballard (known for his collaborations with Brad Mehldau, Chick Corea, Ray Charles, and many more) and bassist Arne Huber.
The Fabian Willmann Trio is “a relaxed celebration of the beauty of melody” (thatjazz). It strips the music down to its essentials, yet with something to say in every breath, free of chatter, redundancy, or showmanship.
“All About Jazz” compares their “spaciously presented pieces” to the groundbreaking trio work of Sonny Rollins in the 1950s and Ornette Coleman in the 1960s, and describes their debut album “Balance” as “one of the most unassuming albums of 2022, which may well end up being one of the best of the year.”
Their second album “Freedom” (2024), featuring Sissel Vera Pettersen and Lionel Loueke, has been described as “hymnic, not hectic” and “almost provocatively emotional”, “where every nuance, every saxophone sound, every drum hit, and every vibration of a string takes on weight and meaning” (Jazz’n’More).
In 2025, the trio presented this music in eighteen concerts across Germany, Luxembourg, England, and Switzerland.
