Daniel Erdmann’s Thérapie De Couple

Because Daniel Erdmann lived in France for more than 20 years after completing his studies in Berlin, the saxophonist—born in Hanover in 1973—is well acquainted with the mindset of people on both sides of the Rhine and understands the complex relationship between the neighboring countries. That’s why he named his sextet Thérapie de Couple (in English: Couples Therapy), with which he recently released an album bearing the tongue-in-cheek title “I Wanna Hold Your Hand, François.” Germans and French people probably need therapy to be able to understand each other again. But seriously: Anyone who experiences this sextet—comprising three French and three German musicians—live on stage can observe how the string players, woodwind players, and rhythm section seek contact with one another and begin to communicate, how they break away from each other and come together ad hoc in new sound combinations. The sextet’s music is in constant motion not only because of the improvisational element, but also because of the interplay between the instruments.