CD-Review: „Gypsy Summit“ – Mogeli Geisler

On by JM_Webmaster
JM-Greats - Moreno Winterstein

    „Gypsy Summit“ is the name of his Debut-CD that Sinti-Guitarist Mogeli Geisler, who is no real stranger in the GJ-Scene but a very well accepted known guitarrist, presents this week.

    And we like to congratulate him for his pitch, as he puts up the benchmark pretty high inviting real top-class musicians such as Marcel Loeffler (Accordeon), Wauwau Adler (Git.), Benji Winterstein,  Tschabo Franzen and Manusch Weiss (Rythm Git), Hugo Richter (Piano), Smeily Adler (Git.), his cousin Kussi Weiss (Git.), as well as his son Justin Geisler (Git.), into the Studio to support and record with him. On Double-Bass Christopher Bormann is backing them up straight and steadily throughout the whole album.

    The overall chosen 14 Tracks on „Gypsy Summit“ present a colorful yet balanced mix of well known Jazzclassics.

    CD-Review: „Gypsy Summit“ - Mogeli Geisler

    As for example songs like „Blue Moon“, „I remember April“, „Have you met Miss Jones?“, „Night and Day“, „My melancholy Baby“ or „The man i love“. Additionally some more songs of other composers such as Samson Schmitt („Gypsy Swing“), Henri Salvador („Syracuse“) and „For my Mandy“ (by his Cousin Kussi Weiss), one Song by Django Reinhardt („Tears“).

    And regrettably only one original composition by Mogeli Geisler himself „Mari Suni“ finalize the sum.
    Yet this Album is exactly what any fan of this musical style would be expecting: a great meeting („Gypsy Summit“) of a few of the best Musicans of this genre nowdays.
    Freshly presented, yet powervoll played Jazztunes involving virtuose art of improvisation, playjoy and fun – all whatsoever you would expect under the style of „Gypsyswing“ accurately. And it does!

    Its is really enjoyable to listen to the Album in this pleasant mix of fast numbers and deep slow Ballads.

    Anyway those Ballads! This is when Mogeli Geisler prooves what kind of a great musician he really is.

    Thats were he shows with an involved lightness, that he is not only knowing about great playing technique, but impressively shows the more what great technique in conjunction with feeling causes: a completely warm feel involving guaranteed shivers, like for example on his own original composition „Mari suni“. To me one of the highlights of the CD.

    CD-Review: „Gypsy Summit“ - Mogeli Geisler

    But not only in deep slow ballads but as well in the fast numbers („Blue Moon“, „Night & day“ or „The best things in life are free“) Mogeli swings whatever his Guitar allows him to swing out of.

    Benji Winterstein (as also Tschabo Franzen invited as another guest musican on a couple of numbers) swing their rhythms thereby in the backround reliable as pure clockworks. THAT´s what you call real Swing!!!
    With pure precision, clear and straight, yet thats how they impressively demonstrate why they are considered to belong to the best Rhythmguitarrists of this genre today.

    In the tune „Gypsy Swing“ by Samson Schmitt (oldest son of Dorado) Mogeli´s young son Justin shows (paired with the bonfire of his youth) what a great teacher his father already has been for him – so that he will be able to step into the footprints of his father one day.

    On „My melancholy Baby“ Mogeli Geisler and Wauwau Adler start friendly battling each other, throwing musical balls towards each other.

    Next Mogeli quotes a waltz like „Chez Jaquet“ by Django Reinhardt – but just as an intro – to afterwhat start again to swing off like hell with the tune „Night & day“ – beautiful idea that surprises here.

    The idea to change a slow ballad as „Tears“ composed by great Django Reinhardt into an uptempo-number suprises well. But yet Mogeli´s nice Intro indicates hereby once more what musical quality he really has, involving little reminisences of quotes from classical music.

    Solely the piano sound on the recordings (e.g. at „Wonderful You“) could have come from a „real“ Piano, as regrettably one may hear this was significantly to be produced from a synthesizer.
    Actually that doesnt affect the great musical quality of playing by top pianist Hugo Richter, but it is yet well  recognizable that it changed the way he plays in comparison to real keys made from real ebony.

    Nevertheless considering this (very!) little horseshoe on the CD the overall soundquality matches the top statement quality that all players gain.
    And as on all others too, also on this song „Wonderful You“ the guitarrist Mogeli Geisler once more shows his quality as a great player, this time even on an electrical amplified Jonny Smith GIBSON. And he sounds convincing like the great idols Wes Montgomery, George Benson oder Joe Pass with that. Classy!

    Beyond all this and throughout the CD hovers the miraculous virtuoso Accordion playing of artist Marcel Loeffler. If you are listing to him, knowing that this blind musican plays his Accordion better than many other players that are able to see, that already leaves us behind kinda speechless, but yet filled with joy.

    Overall „Gypsy Summit“ is great new Debut-Album with a blend mix of power, joy of playing, yet also with reflection as peaceful or sometimes just a completely „relaxed way of playing nice music“.
    That exactly is what fans of this kind of music are expecting from it. So thumbs up!

    Our tipp of the months *****

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