GROOVE JOURNEY - What a trip!
The Lazarev Project Group returns with a fantastic studio album: On GROOVE JOURNEY, 14 musicians play the instrumental songs of virtuoso guitarist Igor Lazarev – beautifully recorded, cleverly arranged, rhythmically infectious funk, Latin, jazz, rock, pop!
After recording their successful 2017 CD debut, "SHINE YOUR LIGHT," as a classic jazz-rock trio (guitar, bass, drums), and performing live as a trio for many years, GROOVE JOURNEY expands its sonic spectrum to include wind instruments, keyboards, and the voice of Lisa Lazarev, one of the bandleader's daughters. And that's a good thing: These new elements are never just accessories, but always contribute something musically to the compositions, which are complex yet accessible and—as promised—truly groove.
“The songs called for it”
Igor Lazarev has always continued to walk the straight path: through personal crises like the death of his mother, for whom he wrote "It's Not Over," through phases of reinventing his role after all the children left home ("Nachtgespräch"), and through the well-known difficulties of recent years, especially for live musicians. This makes the release of the so organic-sounding and optimistic work "GROOVE JOURNEY" all the more remarkable: Lazarev has something to say – without any lyrics.
The Lazarev Project Group had been playing many of the songs for years, and so Igor became increasingly clear about how he wanted to optimally arrange and record them. The result is fascinating and fully justifies his choice of instrumentation, or as Igor puts it: "The songs demanded it."
Listening once isn't enough: The pieces tell stories, paint pictures, and open up spaces. The magnificent six strings are always present, but they sing and carry, unpretentious and essential, so that GROOVE JOURNEY has become a musical journey around the world that captivates not only guitar fans, but everyone.
With Igor Lazarev (g) are: Mike Haarman (dr), Christian Kussmann (b),
Wim de Vries (dr), Antoine Colin (tr), James Morgan (b), Waldemar Leczkowski (sax), Claus Schulte (dr), Danh Thai (sax), Oleg Jakushov (sax), Daniel Koegel (key),
Fritz Roppel (b), Stephan Schöpe (dr) and Lisa Lazarev (voc) – a truly international tour group!
01 Happy Groove
02 Limitless
03 Song For AI
04 Night Talk
05 Welcome To The Gig
06 Be Strong
07 Suddenly Autumn
08 After Work Song
09 It's Not Over
