Benjamin Lackner

What distinguishes Benjamin Lackner from many of his role models is his avoidance of grand gestures. The poetic casualness with which he plays his fantastically beautiful melodies is reminiscent of the flight of a butterfly, whose trajectory draws the most enchanting ornaments in the air without them being immediately tangible. With Lackner, the small rests in the large and the large in the small. The connecting element between the two principles is the unpretentious moment in which it happens.

The recordings for “Last Decade” were made in September 2021, when times were already complicated enough, but nobody would have guessed at the time what point we would have reached socially, globally and individually at the time of its release. With almost prophetic foresight, Benjamin Lackner created music over a year ago that covers the hardships and fears of the present like a healing film.

He opens doors and turns the dualism of musician and listener on its head, because he almost gives the impression that it is he who is listening for us into the almost irresolvable complexity of our worries and hopes. These songs were not made for the sake of music, but to be heard, no, to be felt and lived. “I had to learn to stay with myself despite all the political and social turbulence and to create the warmth that I give on this album from within myself,” states Benjamin Lackner. With “Last Decade”, he has not only overcome this hurdle with flying colors, he has also gifted the world with a piece of music that, if every citizen of the world in East and West, rich and poor, old and young, were to listen to it once a day, would open the gates to a better future.

Wolf Kampmann

It is a masterpiece that, in the almost hypnotic melodic maelstrom of eight original Lackner compositions (and an impromptu by his bassist), dispenses with all soloistic “artistry” and spectacular artistry in favor of a highly integrated sound and intimate exchange of ideas. To a certain extent, the four sing the songs, at least primarily, with all their implied, occasionally flashing soloistic souplesse. This is a modest and refined process, but one whose sophistication only becomes apparent to us in the aftermath, so to speak.

WELTWOCHE

The music unfolds naturally on every single track. The sound of the group, which consists almost entirely of Lackner originals, is so authentic that I believe it will stand the test of time and hopefully encourage further recordings as a quartet in the future. The album is blessed with nine very strong tracks, of which I would like to mention just one in particular – the incredible “Hung Up On That Ghost”. Inspiring material indeed.

UK VIBE

For a new band, there’s a new concept and a new sound. Lackner embraces this and has created a focused yet spacious quartet sound that comes across with an easy grace and lyricism that is very appealing. In addition, the group also loves a good groove, and this too can be heard and felt when the four musicians enjoy each other’s playing.

JAZZVIEWS

Let’s hear someone say there is no ECM sound. Benjamin Lackner may be a debutant on ECM, but with “Last Decade” he captures the essence that has characterized this label for over 50 years. In this sense, the record could well be called “Last Half Century” ….This tangible transience of an intangible memory amounts to a stirring intimacy. “Last Decade” reveals a longing that hasn’t been poured into music with such conviction for a very long time.

JAZZTHING

The best thing about the album is the strength of the originals, most of these written by Lackner himself. Producer Manfred Eicher has drawn something special out of the pianist and all concerned on the record for a glistening, life affirming creation.

MARLBANK

But the end product, which is purely acoustic this time, works great….some pieces are solemn and a little melancholy, all of them lyrical and thoughtful, with an almost philosophical calm and serenity.

JAZZPODIUM

Speaking of Last Decade, many jazz musicians aspire to find a home at ECM, but few are called. Lackner, who has a handful of other albums on smaller labels, got the fateful call from Eicher a few years ago. After various delays, the recording sessions went down in September 2021 at Studios La Buissonne in Pernes-les-Fontaines, France. Eicher was very much in the house and in producer mode, and the resulting album benefits from the sonic radiance and sense of space and being in the moment — hallmark qualities for which ECM is renowned.From the opening probing piano-trumpet melody of “Where Do We Go From Here?” to the final suspended chord of the album-closer “My People,” Lackner shows a sensitive touch and an admirable restraint in his playing. He stretches out into flashes of serpentine fire at the right, ripe moments of a solo, as he does on the pensive 6/8 title track, “Last Decade.” He also lends Eick ample expressive space on the record; the pair seem to have a palpable empathetic connection, which one hopes will continue in the future.

THE INDEPENDENT

…with unobtrusive ensemble playing, in which the ego of the individual is not brought to the fore, but rather the common, open, with the courage to leave gaps and space for the partners. In the course of the pieces, double bass and piano, trumpet and piano, double bass and percussion and very often all four instruments nestle together. Here, a solo is not a showpiece for the soloist, but a performance integrated into the overall event, as if everything revolved around a decade of equality and attentive interaction.

RONDO

Benjamin Lackner may be a debutant on ECM, but with “Last Decade” he captures the essence that has characterized this label for over 50 years. (…) This tangible transience of an intangible memory amounts to a stirring intimacy. “Last Decade” lays bare a longing that has not been poured into music with such conviction for a very long time.

JAZZTHING

…with unobtrusive ensemble playing, in which the ego of the individual is not brought to the fore, but rather the common, open, with the courage to leave gaps and space for the partners. In the course of the pieces, double bass and piano, trumpet and piano, double bass and percussion and very often all four instruments nestle together. Here, a solo is not a showpiece for the soloist, but a performance integrated into the overall event, as if it were all about a decade of equality and attentive interaction.

RONDO

Benjamin Lackner was born in Berlin in 1976. He moved to California at the age of 13, where he completed his jazz studies at the California Institute of the Arts under the tutelage of Charlie Haden. Brad Mehldau played a major role as his role model and teacher in the late 90s and helped him find his own way as a pianist. Benny Lackner has played at the North Sea Jazz Festival, Montreux and Monterey Jazz Festival, worked with Billy Higgins, Marc Ribot, Brad Shepik, David Binney and participated in festivals where his band shared the stage with artists like Elvis Costello, John Scofield, Chris Potter, Massive Attack and Air. After 20 years in the USA, Benjamin Lackner has been living in Berlin again since 2008.

Jerôme Regard studied at the Conservatoire National Lyon, as well as at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique Paris under Jean-François Jenny Clark. He has performed at many jazz festivals worldwide and is a sought-after sideman. He has played with musicians such as Jan Garbarek, Flavio Boltro, Rosario Guilliani and Sylvain Beuf. Jerôme lives and teaches in Lyon, France.

Matthieu Chazarenc was born in 1977 in the southwest of France. He studied at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris under Daniel Humair and privately with Jeff Ballard, Ari Hoenig, Kenny Washington and John Riley. Matthieu is a sought-after sideman and has worked with musicians such as Sheila Jordan, Youn Sun Nah, Paolo Fresu, Giovanni Mirabassi and Mark Turner. Matthieu lives in Paris, France.