The fruit of the pan-European cooperation between German trumpet player Markus Stockhausen, Hungarian classical guitar player Ferenc Snétberger, Norwegian bass player Arild Andersen and French drummer Patrice Héral, Joyosa (2004) is more than a traditional solo jazz recording with sidemen. Coming to life as distinct duos from 1997 onwards, the friendly connections between all four members evolved into a quartet in 2002 where “each of the musicians involved writes pieces for this collective group that has no “leader”. (Joyosa liner notes – Enja records).
The friendship between the musicians transpires nicely throughout the entire recording. Informed by their varied geographical and musical backgrounds, Markus Stockhausen, Ferenc Snétberger, Arild Andersen and Patrice Héral manage to fine-tune a delicate acoustic balance, quietly hovering between jazz, classical or world music and some fictional northern-European traditional music. A Patrice Héral composition, “Mona” is an exquisite theme featuring crystal clear choruses on the trumpet and the guitar.
