Quadro Nuevo - Happy Deluxe

In the organizer's words:

They have been described as the European answer to Argentine tango! Quadro Nuevo manages to combine arabesques, Balkan swing, ballads and daring improvisations with melodies from old Europe with great ease, thus giving its audience a completely new sense of sound!

Childhood friends Mulo Francel and Didi Lowka founded the ensemble Quadro Nuevo in 1996. Since then, the adventurous artists have traveled to countless places from Helsinki to Hong Kong, from the Caucasus to New York's Carnegie Hall. Their daring way of making music has earned them two ECHO awards, a gold record, the German Record Critics' Award and several jazz awards.

With the extravagant and playful accordionist Andreas Hinterseher and the pianist Chris Gall, who shines with a lavish wealth of ideas, they live their music in the here and now. This is reminiscent of four lads happily playing music in the southern town squares and fairs. This is what happened in the early days of Quadro Nuevo. Later, they spent time in Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro, rehearsed for days in the shimmering midday heat, swarmed out in the evenings, plunged headlong into the scene, accompanied dancers, intoxicated themselves with heavy wine, caipirinha and fresh Brazilian music straight from the source. The result is the new album HAPPY Deluxe, from which the virtuosos set off into new improvisational territory, sometimes soaring high into the buzzing skies, sometimes diving into glittering Mediterranean seas, sometimes chillingly spun in daydreams and night owls.

Quadro Nuevo explains this sonic homage to moments of happiness:
"Our music has always been created from experiences and encounters. We were fascinated by the cheerfulness and friendliness of many people in Brazil. It colored our songs.
That's how the title of the album came about. We are well aware that the everyday lives of many people are anything but carefree. Nevertheless - or precisely because of this - music can offer a positive alternative world, even in times of crisis and war."

Mulo Francel: saxes, clarinets, mandolin

Andreas Hinterseher: accordion, bandoneon, vibrandoneon, trumpet

D.D. Lowka: bass, percussion

Chris Gall: piano