Jakob Dreyer Mood Quartet – Presentation of Roots and Things
The double bassist and composer Jakob Dreyer, a German based in New York, arrives with Roots and Things, his third album as a leader and the most personal of his career. After his two volumes of Songs, Hymns and Ballads, Dreyer presents a renewed quartet, a new sound universe and a declaration of intent: return to swing, energy and pulse.
For this new adventure, Dreyer assembles a luxurious team: the amazing Sasha Berliner on vibraphone, the brilliant tenor Tivon Pennicott and the versatile Kenn Salters on drums. Together they build an album with 15 original songs that combine urgent swings, powerful grooves and introspective ballads, alternated with brief interludes that function as small emotional reorientations.
Wishing to move away from the piano sound of his previous works, Dreyer opts for the vibraphone as the sound axis, influenced by the aesthetics of Dave Holland. Berliner’s magnetic presence—recognized by Downbeat at the age of 21—brings a unique texture to the quartet, while Pennicott and Salters elevate each piece with imagination, sensitivity, and power.
Roots and Things is a celebration of the double bass as a foundation and musical identity, but also a step forward in the evolution of an artist who, since 2014, has established himself as a constant presence on the New York jazz scene. With influences from Paul Chambers, NHØP, Wayne Shorter or Bill Evans, Dreyer signs a deep, vibrant record full of personality.
A tribute to the roots and everything that makes them grow.
Jakob Dreyer double bass · Tivon Pennicott tenor sax · Sasha Berliner vibraphone · Kenneth Salters drums
