Markus Türk - Türk [Umland Records 046]

Soon to be released via Essen's ever active Umland Records label as their cat.no. 046 is "Türk", the new solo album by trumpet player Markus Türk who took on the challenge to produce this roughly 43 minutes spanning longplayer entirely on his own, using and abusing a plethora of various instruments as well as a loop station whilst drawing influences from his more than 25 years spanning career. This said, Markus Türk's musical spectrum is and alway has been a wide one, playing in bands like the famed Punk-leaning outfit Family 5, working alongside the Umland Records core outfit The Dorf, being invlvd in several Rock, Jazz, Latin projects as well as channelling many other creative sources and outings which, to a certain degree, are reflected in this solo piece, be it in the opener "Dunkle Zeiten" in which both Bavarian Blasmusik (a brass leaning variation of traditional music) and Jazz are fused in a lo-fi'esque yet well groovy way whilst "Wieder Kein Oscar" offers a bit of a laid-back Downbeat vibe, "You Are My Sunshine" gets down in a proper Swing manner, "Markt 16" presents a well hounded, thrilling Blasmusik aesthetic with a bit of a Ska-leaning twist whilst "The Saddest Thing In Your Life" brings on some proper New Orleans funeral vibes, "Yuri Joao" even dabbles with droney, spiritual and somewhat ritualistic atmospheres as a foundation for deep, highly melancholic brass tones before "Somewhere In The Past" turns out to be a proper distinct and slightly fever'ish dancefloor smash of a kind - and an innate quality that would qualify this tune to be featured in a future Tarantino soundtrack - just to pick a few favorites here. Check.