Theo Bleckmann & Timo Vollbrecht

<< TETHER TRIO >>>

When Grammy-nominated singer Theo Bleckmann and shapeshifting saxophonist and Brown jazz professor Timo Vollbrecht joined efforts for the first time to perform at the 2021 Fajr Music Festival, their immediate synergy must have sent out a gentle ripple effect. It marked the inception of an intimate artistic partnership. They composed a program entitled "Tether Trios” that draws from a carefully selected pool of trio partners. Their music weaves acoustic and electronic features into a highly personal sound: Blend art song with improvisation and contemporary compositon! While Theo uses his voice as a flexible instrument beyond boundaries and integrates live processing, Timo’s intricate lines and warm tenor sound complement as a counterpoint. Further, trio partners like Ben Monder or Harmen Fraanje open different portals through which their musical vision experiences a unique perspective with each performance. They have performed in New York, Washington D.C., were scheduled for the Winter Jazz Fest NYC, and toured Europe. Theo explains the naming of the project as follwos: “In rehearsing for the Fajr Music Festival in Iran, we were astonished by how closely tethered our musical ideas were right from the beginning, and how we often could not tell one voice apart from another. Our name is a tribute to the magic of this musical merging."