DANIEL ERDMANN'S THÉRAPIE DE COUPLE - I WANNA HOLD YOUR HAND, FRANCOIS (CD)

Founded at the commission of the jazzahead! showcase and in co-production with the Jazzdor Festival, the Thérapie de Couple sextet, led by Daniel Erdmann, bridges the gap and fosters lasting musical friendships between the German and French jazz scenes. On their debut album, Erdmann's compositions and two covers capture the joy that the two countries' finest musicians are able to share with one another and with the audience through their collaboration. The name of the band Thérapie de Couple refers to the relationship between Germany and France: undertaking this musical therapy is saxophonist Daniel Erdmann, who has been commuting between the two countries for 25 years, and German-French collaborations have always been an important part of his work. In 2023, the organizers of jazzahead! - Europe's greatest jazz gathering - commissioned him to found the Thérapie de Couple sextet, and the band made its debut that same year at the Jazzdor Festival, which, with its two main venues (Strasbourg and Berlin), is already at the forefront of promoting cultural ties between the two countries. However, the work of this select German-French sextet - which bridges the gap and fosters lasting musical friendships between the two scenes - has far exceeded the original purpose of the commission: solidifying into a working band, it has become an active player on the European jazz scene, drawing in additional countries and cultures into the therapy. On their first album, alongside Erdmann's compositions, written for the band and developed together, two covers capture the joy that the two countries' greatest musicians are able to share with one another and with the audience through their collaboration.