Organic Trio

Reviewed by OffBeat (Louisiana Music and Culture):
“Home Remembered isn’t your ordinary organ jazz trio album. Considering that guitarist Brian Seeger is at the helm of this project, one wouldn’t expect it to be. Seeger, a mainstay on the local jazz and recording scene who holds the Alvin “Red” Tyler Professorship chair at the University of New Orleans, is known for often taking a different approach to the music. His talent allows him to do that. On this disc, which was recorded at the UNO studio, the guitarist is joined by French organist Jean-Yves Jung and, from Luxembourg, drummer Paul Wiltgen. Seeger has appeared in Europe with the two musicians, both of whom boast some strong jazz creds, and their compatibility is in evidence on this fine album. Home Remembered opens on a happy note: “Wife Repellant,” one of six Seeger originals that stand out for its very memorable melody. After a couple of hearings, listeners might find themselves humming along. That’s also true of the album’s easy going title cut. The way the instruments interact with one another and the empty spaces that are allowed make the Organic Trio special. There’s a lot going on—unusual rhythms, grooves, some free jazz moments—yet the music remains wonderfully uncluttered.
The Organic Trio is well named, as there’s such a natural feeling to whatever direction
these intuitive musicians choose to go.”

BRIAN SEEGER - Guitarist Brian Seeger is an integral part of New Orleans still vibrant jazz community. His fluid and rich tone, and searching melodic improvisations, have led to his recognition as "One of New Orleans' best jazz guitarists, " by the local music media. His recording and performance credits include Aaron Neville, Charlie Hunter, Big John Patton, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Chris Wood, Jason Marsalis, Davel

Crawford, Stanton Moore, Johnny Vidacovich, John Ellis, Brian Blade, Rebecca Paris, and many others.

Although his musical excursions have been influenced by his studies with contemporary jazz figures such as Gary Burton and Ellis Marsalis, Seeger's playing is well grounded in the blues and American roots music, as well as the sounds of New Orleans' streets. Seeger deftly melds these elements into an approach that is extremely heartfelt and individual; his aesthetic is fundamentally that of a jazz musician, but there is still ample space for ideas from other idioms.

Along with his accomplishments as a performer, Seeger is a well known jazz educator and composer. He holds a full time faculty position in the esteemed University of New Orleans Jazz Studies program, and is the director of the National Guitar Workshop's Jam Summit. Seeger is also an award winning composer and

producer. Many of his compositions have become part of the standard repertoire of the New Orleans soul-jazz community, and have appeared on numerous nationally and internationally released CDs. He has produced over 20 discs for other artists, including French singer and saxophonist Olivier Bou's Boo-Shah-o-Ray, Czech composer and saxophonist Jiri Hala's Make You Wanna Hala, and Luxembourgish composer and drummer Paul Wiltgen's Fresh Sounds disc The Paislies.

PAUL WILTGEN Since he arrived in New York City in the fall of 2001, Paul Wiltgen has made a name for himself among the local and international music industry as an accomplished jazz percussionist and forwardthinking composer. An artist in the truest sense of the word, Paul has earned acclaim as a musician with a unique balance of aesthetic and passion. While living in New York, he has been dubbed “One of the best young drummers in NYC right now! ” by Jazz Visionary David Binney.

After an extensive classical tutelage at the Music Conservatory in Esch/Alzette (Luxembourg) and at various music workshops throughout the world, he completed both undergraduate and graduate jazz studies at Manhattan School of Music, learning from the likes of John Riley, David Liebman, Samir Chatterjee & Michael Abene. Becoming a truly pancontinental artist, Paul appears alongside such emerging stars as Kurt Rosenwinkel, Patrick Cornelius, Michael Janisch, Luis Perdomo, Dave Binney, Aaron Goldberg, Pete Robbins, Franz von Chossy, Tim Collins, Cedric Hanriot and Pablo Held.

Besides fronting The Paul Wiltgen Group, he is also the leader of a New York band named "The Paislies", which released its debut album on the Fresh Sound New Talent record label. Paul currently lives in Paris.

JEAN-YVES JUNG - born in 1969 in France, Jean-Yves Jung is a selftaught jazz organist, pianist and composer. Gigging at night while studying physics at university, he decided to become a full time musician

after graduating in 1992.

He moved to Paris to study composition and to take piano lessons with Bojan Zulfikarpaçik. Jean-Yves was a member of the Bireli Lagrene Quartet for more than two years and he has recorded and toured with Billy Cobham's "Higher Ground".

His recording and performance credits also include Philip Catherine, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Sylvain Luc, Sylvain Beuf, Andre Ceccarelli, The Paris Jazz Big Band, Howard Alden, Steve El l ington, Jimmy Woode, Orchestre Philharmonique de Strasbourg, Tony Lakatos, Keith Copeland, Nat Reeves, Christian Escoudé,...