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Dez. 2007
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von Volkmar Joswig
Oliver Kraus- Subways
Everybody needs a favorite music artist. Oliver Kraus from Frankfurt is a great choice.
The new album ‘Subways’ should be warmly recommended to those who don’t know this awesome guitarist yet. An artwork that sets new benchmarks for German jazz-blues-rock-music, because of its complex symbiosis between gentle melancholy and demanding variety
[in der mit Leichtigkeit Genregrenzen übersprungen werden.]
The young man from Frankfurt is a versatile music strategist. He knows all about the demanding art of playing the e-guitar, rich in content and complex, without getting stuck in jazz experiments.
He quests, influenced by other guitarists like Scott Henderson and Larry Carlton, many other directions. In the current quartet whose member are Steffen Stütz, Fender rhodes, Moog, Wolfgang Ritter, Fender jazz bass and Marco Bruckdorfer, Drums, Vibrates the spirit of a mixture between filed arrangements and spontaneous session atmosphere. [Die Musiker bedienen sich mit viel Spielfreude, fantastischer Frisch und Kreieren einen abwechslungsreichen Klangkosmos mit immer neuen Überraschungen.]
The significant blues songs ‘Odd meters’ and ‘Cool runnings’ or the wonderful dreamily ballads ‘Song for...’, ’4:00 a.m.’ und ‘Interspace’. prove this very impressively.
Guest musician Carola Grey, Drums, come into play, hits some modern beat and shows that she surely knows what she is doing.
With a lot of intensity Oliver Kraus and his band grand the song ’Cantaloupe Island’ by Herbie Hancock a whole lot of quality, that will take your breath away.
The virtuosity of the talented guitarist deals with a lot of giftedness and prestidigitation, but thorough his album there is one specific characteristic which balances the rock aspects of the artist with empathy and melancholy. Oliver Kraus and his band produce music beyond the bleak mainstream with a lot of skill and in an easy going way.
‘Subways’ is an album that German musicians will have to match with in the future.
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3/2009 von Arnd Müller (anytime soon in english)
Ein spannendes instrumentales Jazz-Rock-Album schickt uns der Frankfurter Gitarrist Oliver Kraus. Auf 'Subways' geht sofort der satte crunchige Gitarren-Ton ins Ohr, wie überhaupt diese Studio- Aufnahme eher eine ungekünstelte Live- Atmosphäre ausstrahlt. Der Profimusiker sieht sich beeinflusst von Ikonen wie Scott Henderson und Larry Carlton, steht aber auch auf die Pianisten Chick Corea und Herbie Hancock, wobei von letzterem mit 'Cantaloupe Island' die einzige Cover-Version der Platte stammt, die übrigens sehr knackig und funky ausgefallen ist. Außerdem durfte sich hier Drummer Ralf Göldner als geschmackvoller Solist austoben. Überhaupt gibt es viele Drums-Breaks oder vertrackte Unisono-Läufe von Gitarre und Bass zu bestaunen. Und da ist natürlich noch das virtuose Spiel des Band-Leaders, (der Endorser von Stoll Guitars ist), das trotz aller Arpeggien und flotten Tonleiter-Kaskaden ein tieferliegendes Blues-Feeling zeigt, wenn gebendet oder der Ton stehen gelassen wird. Musik mit einer Portion Rock-Energie, die das Ganze nie steril oder gesetzt wirken lässt. Einer allzu starken Gitarrenlastigkeit wird entgegengewirkt durch die Freiräume für die beiden weiteren Beteiligten, Bassist Wolfgang Ritter und Steffen Stütz am Fender Rhodes E-Piano und am Moog, die sich ebenfalls virtuos in Szene setzen können. Ein erfrischendes Quartett, ein gelungenes Album.
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AZ, Mainz Main-Spitze vom 08.07.2008
An adequate rock formation- ‚Subways’ establishes ‘ jazzcafè ‘ in the city park
By André Domes-RÜSSELSHEIM
On Wednesday Oliver Kraus pitched in as an excellent alternate act with his project ‘Just Friends’ in the ‘Stadtbar’s’ ‘Kultsommertraum’ program, and on the previous Sunday the guitaris from Offenbach and his quartet ‘Subways’ opened up one of four open-air ‘Jazzcafé’ concerts with his scheduled contribution at the pavilion in the city park.
The moderate attendance caused by the canging wheater conditions did not have any affect to the guys; they displayed the pleasure playing and showed an immense manual precision.
The musicians in ‘Subways’ are a full-fledged rock formation with keyboards, bass, guitar and drums, for a good reason. Because Kraus and his three band mates Steffen Stütz (keyboard), Wolfgang Ritter (bass) and Ralf Göldner (drums) usually go strait towards rock, combine jazz way of thinking, rock energy and playful sovereignty of experienced studio professionals.
Especially the last on, which become obvious after the first few beats, is one of the central qualities of the quartet. It doesn’t matter if they take original compositions, standard or foreign material as their basis.
The undeniable fact is, that ‘Subways’ will definitely produce the characteristic sound.
Even the foundation amazes with earthquake resistant artwork and creative groove work, that even between professionals like Wolfgang Ritter and Ralf Göldner is rare.
The two rythm delagates vary between funk, blues and rock orientation at the push of a bottom and endow the whole sound a dynamic however not a hectic basis.
Steffen Schütz (keyboards), whose laminar applied harmonies contrast the ones of the others, which still function as an intelligent acting connector between rhythm and melody, is working in the opponent direction- solos are not excluded.
Oliver Kraus is on top of all, who presents technical variety on the fingerboard as well as a reliable sense of style and taste, a pleasure to listen to either way you put it.
In spite of all the instrumental fineness in the ‘Subways’ songs, the main focus is still on the statement.
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März 2008
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vom Many Bachinger
The guitarist Oliver Kraus can look back on a lot of experience. By that the licenced professional musician and instrumental educator for Jazz and Popular music has made a name for himself via divers projects. He also is out on business at fairs as an endorser for the instrument producer Stoll.
On his latest solo CD he achieves his idea of the perfect fusion instrumental CD.
After his first album ‘The grand day out’ , which is a patchwork production with 13 musicians and numerous instruments, the componist and guitaris decided that he wanted to produce a CD with a small instrumentation and simply one beat.
The focus was supposed to be on the instrumental, impressive guitar songs, that tell a story in interaction. For the first title Oliver Kraus was able to get Carola Grey behind the drums and get the needed energy for the song due to her powerful playing.
The musical backline consists of the musicians in the formation ‘4am’ from Darmstadt, that were already well-rehearsed as a trio and [bekannt sich ] due to the teamwork of Edu Zanki, Bob Mintzer, Thomas Anders, Marla Glen, Paddie goes to Hollyhead and many more.
A great fusion CD emerged that dos not have to hide from the international competition. Tasteful songs, that occasionally reminde you of antetypes like Shredhead Greg Howe, take the audience away to devers worlds of sound.
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