Jens Kommnick Stringed Hybrid Stereo SACD

Once upon a time... - fairy tales often begin with these familiar and beloved words. But only fairy tales? It can't be a coincidence that Jens Kommnick opens his new solo album Stringed with the piece "Es war einmal (Once Upon a Time)". He says "It's at least 10 years since this piece almost accidentally came into being! To my ears it sets the foundations to the opening of an atmospheric fairy tale." The composition is more than that: it's a magical prelude to a very special album...

In the lovingly designed booklet there's also the touching story of a little boy, who receives a songbook from his mother as a birthday present, so that he can learn to play the guitar. The boy musters the courage to write a letter to the author of the book and asks for an autograph. "For Jens" writes the author, Reinhard Mey, on the card, "not having any idea that this would mark the beginning of a beautiful friendship." The boy was Jens Kommnick; he later became friends with Reinhard Mey, who wrote the introduction in the booklet, recalling with his warm-hearted words this story from many years ago. In a touching gesture, Jens Kommnick has included a cover of Reinhard Mey's song "Lass nun ruhig los das Ruder" on this album.

On his way to becoming one of the most remarkable and popular guitarists and instrumentalists of this country, Jens Kommnick developed his own unique and unmistakable style on the guitar - a style between "Celtic fingerstyle guitar", classical, jazz and folk. The new album Stringed - surprisingly only his fourth album - marks a special point in the impressive musical journey of the 56 year-old guitarist. The intoxicating piece "The Humours of Stockfisch" also tells of this journey that has lead him to the legendary Stockfisch studios. He says the song came to him "spontaneously" (I rub my eyes in amazement) in a recording break as he sat in front of the microphone. He plays a baritone guitar on this piece; guitar fans will surely hear and appreciate these details. Jens Kommnick is a fascinated and fascinating multi-instrumentalist and for his new album Stringed (the title tells you what to expect) he played all sorts of stringed instruments, including of course his "Redwood", a guitar built by Lowden, with a warm and brilliant tone that finds a direct way to the listeners' hearts.

It's the effortlessness of "The Bride's Wedding Dress / The Wedding Schottische", the gentle tones in "Born an Angel", the surprising turns and twists in "Regenreise (The Journey of Rain)" and the breathtaking runs in "Ton Double Fisel / Gavotte Pour Soïg" that move and astonish the listener. Above all, these compositions make one thing clearly perceptible and audible: this is Jens Kommnick himself, who lends a soul to the songs with his human warmth. The lovely comments in the booklet about how the songs came into being also show this warmth, whether in the touching story of "The Empty House" or the affectionate recollection of "Christophs Tanz (Christoph's Dance)".

Once upon a time... Fairy tales enchant those who read them - we all remember them - often leaving a smile on the readers' faces. In a magical way, the new solo-album Stringed from Jens Kommnick also has the same effect, recorded brilliantly at the Stockfisch studios.

- Marc Liese, February 2022