“Close Your Eyes” - the title that trumpeter Bill Petry gave to his debut album can be read as an instruction manual: Listen to this music as an offer to pause, to slow down, to reassure yourself in times of uncertainty, crisis and hectic everyday life. Don't close your eyes and go on, but rather close your eyes and let yourself in for the peace that is inherent in this music. Familiar, intimate stories are told, stories that are conveyed through the language of music, songs that in this case manage without words. Restrained, trusting in the beauty of the music, harmonically refined and melodically touching, Petry plays to his particular strength: an unmistakable sound, rich in nuances, colors and emotions.
“This album simply needed to be recorded! I feel every note in it, and I am proud having been a part of Bill Petry’s debut. You will hear and read a lot about him in the future. Trust me.” Till Brönner
With Close Your Eyes, Bill Petry has created a mature and very personal album. He is a musician who no longer needs to find himself, who has already found his voice. Stylistically, Petry cannot be categorized only as a jazz musician. As a soloist, he has worked alongside jazz greats such as Billy Hart, Riccardo Del Fra and Till Brönner, as well as with internationally acclaimed musicians such as Lisa Batiashvili and Daniel Hope.
With Till Brönner, who produced the debut album, two like-minded musicians have teamed up for this project: both play the trumpet in a way that should come as close as possible to the human voice. Brönner has long since made a name for himself as a producer - initially with the large-scale project 17 Millimeter by the late Hildegard Knef (1999), followed by work for artists as diverse as Manfred Krug, Thomas Quasthoff and No Angels. With Close Your Eyes, Brönner has now produced an album for another trumpeter for the first time.
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Bill Petry - Trumpet
Christian von der Goltz - Piano
Olaf Casimir - Bass
Tobias Backhaus - Drums
