Das Quartett “Duty Free” um den Bassisten Timon Krämer wurde 2022 von ihm frisch gegründet und spielt ausschließlich seine Eigenkompositionen. Die Mitmusiker verbindet neben der Liebe zur Improvisation auch das gemeinsame Studium an der HfMT Hamburg und eine enge Freundschaft. Nach einem zweiwöchigen Aufenthalt und mehreren Konzerten in Glasgow und Edinburgh (Schottland) mit Rafael Müller (dr.) entwickelte sich die Idee für ein eigenes Projekt mit eigenen Stücken. Da das Repertoire für ein Konzert aufgrund Masterstudiums bereits fast vollständig vorhanden war, fehlte es nur noch an den übrigen fähigen Musikern. Am Klavier und an der Trompete/Flügelhorn nehmen jahrelange Wegbegleiter Platz: Aydın Bayramoğlu (Pn.) und Benjamin Stanko (Trp./Flh.) spielten beide in den unterschiedlichsten Formationen mit Timon und Rafael zusammen. Die gemeinsamen Erfahrungen machen sich im Sound bemerkbar.
Auch stilistisch schlägt das Quartett große Bögen, so reichen die Sprünge von lateinamerikanischen Rhythmen, über Swing, bis hin zu balladeskem, modalem oder groove-orientiertem Jazz.
Yelfris Valdés:
Yelfris Valdés is a Cuban artist, composer and trumpet player. He began studying classical music at the age of 8 and began touring the world as a professional musician at the age of 16. During this time he recorded, performed and toured with some of Cuba’s most important artist and bands including:
The legendary Grammy Award Winning: Buena Vista Social Club, Omara Portuondo, Barbarito Torres, Guajiro Mirabal, Amadito Valdes, Roberto Fonseca and X Alfonso. At the age of 20, he joined one of, if not the longest running band performing the Cuban son style, Sierra Maestra.
In the 10 years he spent with the band he mastered the art of Cuban improvisation, arranging and complex rhythms from the island, whilst touring their music in more than 50 countries. In 2010, they were nominated at the Grammy Awards for Best Tropical Album, which included several of Yelfris’ Compositions.
In 2014 he moved to London and positioned himself very quickly as one of the most in demand trumpet players in the capital’s music scene.
Due to his versatility and improvisation abilities he has been requested to play with big international stars from the likes of Madonna, Paul Simonon(The Clash) and Michael Kiwanuka to multi-Grammy award winning pianist Chucho Valdés and African Express with Damon Albarn, Basseku Kuyate amongst others. His time in London has seen him collaborate with some of the finest UK musicians from Mobo award winning drummer Moses Boyd and pioneering grime MC Kano to highly lauded producer Quantic. He also recorded on the Yussef Kamaal project with Gilles Peterson’s Brownswood Records which went on to become the best-selling jazz album in the UK for generations shining an nternational light on this new wave of UK jazz musicians.
He has been recording and performing non stop with dfferent projects such as: Carlos Acosta at Royal Opera House, Yussef Kamaal, Sns Of Kemet, Shabaka Hutchings, Sugaray Rayford, OUM, Dayme Arocena, Gilles Peterson, Ariwo, Ana Tijoux, Charlie Hunter, Afrocubism, Cubafrobeat, Yussef Dayes, Dele Sosimi.
In 2018 Yelfris released his first album called ‘For The Ones..’ which has been described as Hypnotic
Cuban-Nu Electronica with great reviews, which also granted him a nomination at the Jazz FM Awards as Breakthrough Act of the Year.
With the LP’s impressive palette of epic, cosmos-weaving trumpet melodies, fuzzy keys and psychedelic textures at their disposal, in 2020, Quantic, K15, LCSM, Osunlade, Maxwell Owin, Contours repurpose and rework some of the album’s key moments, bringing an injection of dancefloor - friendly sensibilities to the proceedings in an album called: For the Ones.. Remixed.
As a composer he has made compositions for Adult Swim, Spitfire Audio, Tour de Moon installations.
Line-Up:
Benjamin Stanko – Trompete & Flügelhorn
Aydın Bayramoğlu - Klavier
Rafael Müller - Schlagzeug
Timon Krämer - Bass & Komposition
