Take some well-known jazz standards, re-harmonise them carefully, add modern grooves, leave room for inspired improvisation — and stir in four musicians who have known and trusted each other for years. Let it all turn interactive, and the hips start to swing on their own. That is The Hip.
With Daniel Guggenheim on saxophone, Ulf Kleiner on piano and Fender Rhodes, Hanns Höhn on bass and Tobias Backhaus on drums, the band connects the elegance of the classic repertoire with the energy of contemporary playing. Cool jazz, modal jazz and grooving off-beat phrasing meet Rhodes colours and electric textures.
“Hip” is more of a state than a style: a casual wave of the hand, a finger snap on the off-beat, good ears, good eyes and an even better instinct. The Hip lives in the space between the notes — and that is exactly where the band invites its audience to come along.