Cornelius Claudio Kreusch – Black Mud Sound

With “Black Mud Sound” Cornelius Claudio Kreusch, then 26 years old, achieved his breakthrough in the international jazz scene. After completing his studies at Berklee College in Bosten, Kreusch moved to New York in the mid-1990s, which was to become his home for nearly 20 years. There he formed an energetic quartet of jazz giants such as Miles Davis’ saxophonist Kenny Garrett, as well as one of the hottest bassists on the international jazz scene, Anthony Cox, and drumming legend Marvin “Smitty” Smith.

After extensive European tours and concerts in the New York clubs such as Blue Note or Knitting Factory, the four met for recordings in Systems Two Studio in Brooklyn. As a special guest, Moroccan singer and Sinter player Hassan Hakmoun, known for his work with Peter Gabriel and the Kronos Quartet, joined the recordings. The recorded tapes are a manifesto of the shared energy of four strong musical characters.

And the story of a young musician who manages to join the circle of the bigger ones. This CD, which was originally released on Horst Weber’s enja records, made it to international best lists and is referred to in some lexicas as one of Kenny Garrett’s best. It’s also Marvin “Smitty” Smith’s last album before he started on the Tonight Show Band. Critics compared the interaction of the four musicians with the energy of the John Coltrane Quartet.