The Story behind "24"

 In 2009, I started working on the third Jazzmachine album. In the course of the demo work and the first jam sessions – also together with my friend and long-time Supermax band colleague, the guitar legend Bernhard Locker - there was a moment during our brainstorming where we nostalgically allowed "old Supermax elements" to flow into the recordings, and this inspired a vision in both of us:

 "Actually, Kurt Hauenstein should sing all this and play bass for it.“

I contacted Kurt again after more than 15 years and to my great delight he was enthusiastic about the idea. "Jazzmachine featuring Supermax - the best you can get" was conceived, and immediately put into action: Demos were sent back and forth, and the energy from something magical being created was omnipresent.

Kurt's last words to me in mid-March 2011 were: "See you next Friday in Munich to record ". Kurt Hauenstein died quite unexpectedly on March 21, 2011.

After a longish phase of sadness and of coming to terms with this shock, I slowly began to continue my journey in search of a new musical approach and interpreters. And, as often happens when you’re in tune with the universe and „let things flow“, the right performers, artists and soulmates magically and miraculously came along and gave the project exactly what it seemed to need. And at the end of this healing process, "Jazzmachine 24" is now ready to see the light of day: So many wonderful musicians and companions have put their love, talent and vision into this album - 24 of them, to be exact.

What a wonderful number! Thanks, to all of you, my deepest respect!

Jazzmachine 24 - in Memoriam Kurt Hauenstein/Supermax