Bernhard Brugger was a student of mine, some years ago, in the jazz department of the Kärntner Landeskonservatorium in Klagenfurt (Austria). He was also one of the better ones, and I’m happy to see that he and his band have recorded this CD. It’s a fine quartet, whose outstanding members are Berni and the guitarist Luis Zöschg, both are composers and do almost all of the soloing.

The music could be considered modern mainstream and is very melody- and rhythm oriented, just the way I like it. Another of its positive qualities is that it’s always changing, from tune to tune. There’s always a new atmosphere and rhythm (swing, rock, Latin, ballad, etc.), so the band is not stuck in one groove, which often happens.

Berni himself has a great trumpet sound, technique and range, and his harmony and phrasing are right on the mark. My only possible criticism would be that he could have used the flugelhorn or muted the trumpet more often, to vary the band’s sound even more. All things considered, though, this is some nice jazz, and I’ll be listening to it often.

Lee Harper, Salzburg (Austria)