Timo Gross - Landmarks (CD)

Blues guitarist and singer Timo Gross releases new album. They accompanied him, carried him through difficult and fulfilling times: For his new album, Timo Gross looked at his life and selected songs that touched, accompanied and shaped him - musical "landmarks" on his way to becoming a professional musician. Whether it's "Infected" by The The, "I Thank You" by ZZ Top or James Taylor's "Sweet Baby James": In all the tracks, says the guitarist and singer, he feels the blues - and that's exactly what he gives them in his own, very personal and emotional interpretations. Timo Gross, himself winner of the German Record Critics' Prize, will be on tour with his band in autumn to bring this dedication to his colleagues and to life live on stages in Germany and neighboring Europe.
October 2013 "Landmarks" appears on the label Fuego. Eleven songs are perhaps the 49-year-old’s most personal work to date. "These pieces have been with me my whole life, they're like good friends," he says. It was time to give them the blues. Because although pieces like "Word Up" by Cameo or "Alphabet Street" by Prince have nothing to do with Timo Gross' main genre at first glance, in his interpretations they get those colors that are characteristic of the blues: Mal “Landmarks” comes across as sluggishly heavy, sometimes as easy as life can be, even if it has been anxious and suffering. Of course, it also contains homages to Timo Gross' great heroes such as the recently deceased JJ Cale ("I Make Love To You Any Time") and Charles Brown's "Driftin' Blues", which Eric Clapton had in his live program for a long time.
The emotional, sometimes rough character of "Landmarks" is underlined by the recording technique of the album: The eleven songs were recorded live, ten of them in Andy Schorpp's Schiller Studio in Karlsruhe. In addition to his rhythm section – Chris Gajny on bass and Franz Eichberger on drums – this time Timo Gross had young guitarist Manuel Bastian in the studio and Markus Lauer on Hammond. The guitarist and singer was again responsible for the production himself.
As in his previous releases, Timo Gross relies on variety and creative arrangements without losing sight of his style and roots. Whether it's Marc Cohn's "Walk Through The World With Me", which he has turned into a moving guitar number, or "Incected" by The The, which makes an excellent blues number with its steel-heavy theme and emotional lyrics: Timo Gross understands to give the pieces his very own handwriting. And even without a band, all alone with his acoustic guitar, he convinces: At the end of the record, "Sweet Baby James" (James Taylor) becomes the emotional climax of a journey into Timo Gross' musical past - back to his very personal landmarks.
Another album by Timo Gross was released parallel to "Landmarks", with which he continues the "Vineyard Sessions": In winter, also with Fuego, Vol. 4 of the acoustic project will be released, this time with the Irish singer and guitarist Tony McLoughlin and Marlon Klein , percussionist for the world music legend Dissidenten, among others. Timo Gross recorded the two previous editions with Richie Arndt and Alex Conti; in the first episode, Gregor Hilden was the third man on guitar.

01 Infected
02 Homesick
03 You Don't Love Me
04 Walk Through the World
05 Driftin' Blues
06 I'll Make Love to You Anytime
07 Word Up
08 I thank you
09 Be Good
10 Alphabet Street
11Sweet Baby James