“Jakob Manz always surprises you,” says pianist and keyboardist Roberto Di Gioia, who produced the 21-year-old’s album, which will be released in 2023, together with Siggi Loch.

»Word has now gotten around that Jakob plays the saxophone incredibly well and in Allen possible styles of modern jazz. Not everyone knows that he also sounds 100% authentic in soul, funk and rhythm'n'blues. And when you think you've really heard everything from him, he plays a blues solo so deep and soulful that you can hardly believe it." With the release of his jazz-rock debut "Natural Energy" in 2020, Jakob showed Manz how much potential he has. This was followed by prominent appearances at the Leverkusen Jazz Days, the Jazz Baltica, in the Porsche Arena Stuttgart (as a guest soloist at “70 Years of SWR Big Band”) and at the ACT30 anniversary concerts in the Berlin Philharmonic. The delicate, acoustic duo album “The Gallery Concerts I” with pianist Johanna Summer was released in 2022, which shows Manz as an improviser of great depth and sensitivity. And he received many prominent awards, most recently the state jazz prize in his home state of Baden-Württemberg.

While the debut album was still a cross-section of his broad musical spectrum, "Groove Connection" is a close-up of perhaps Jakob Manz's greatest strength: inspiring his audience with soulful melodies, crisp solos and a strong sense of rhythm. The starting point for producers Roberto Di Gioia and Siggi Loch was to further fuel these rare qualities with a top international cast. The latter says: »Jakob Manz is an incredible talent and for me he stands in the tradition of great saxophonists like Lou Donaldson, his hero David Sanborn and also Klaus Doldinger. All musicians who found their characteristic sound based on jazz combined with soul and blues and thus became successful worldwide. In the case of Klaus Doldinger, I experienced this myself when, in 1969, at the height of the success of his jazz quartet, I motivated him to try something completely new with the album 'Motherhood'. The recording became the blueprint for 'Klaus Doldinger's Passport', his most successful and most acclaimed project to date.«

And so the bar for the "Groove Connection" was set high from the start: an album of international standard, with musicians who, like Jakob Manz, deeply penetrate the vocabulary of soul-jazz and rhythm'n'blues and fill it with their own life . Roberto Di Gioia, on the keys and also as a songwriter, was set from the start - because of his history with Klaus Doldinger's Passport, the cult band "Zappelbude" and his current band Web Web, but also because of his pop & soul sensibility as a producer Max Herre or Joy Denalane. The first choice for the low tones was the American Tim Lefebvre, a hero of Jakob Manz, an authority on his instrument and collaborator with artists as diverse as David Bowie, Wayne Krantz, Tedeschi Trucks Band and Michael Wollny. The Swede Per Lindvall contributes the stylish groove - including a member of the first Nils Landgren Funk Unit and drummer with ABBA. Funky spice comes from Bruno Müller, one of the most sought-after German session guitarists. Swedish trombonist Karin Hammar creates the soft, warm counterpart to Jakob Manz's brilliant alto saxophone. And finally, guest appearances from guitarist Nguyên Lê, trumpeter Paolo Fresu and speaker Mark Harrington set further accents.

When the Groove Connection met in the studio, something clicked immediately, as Roberto Di Gioia remembers: “We had everything perfectly prepared, including the best bass equipment for Tim. That was the first time I had to call the control room and tell them to start recording immediately.” The vibe of the first few minutes continues throughout the duration of the recording. Everything flows, everyone seems to subconsciously understand exactly what the music really needs, which notes you should play and which you shouldn't. In the end, one or two takes are enough for most of the tracks on the album. The fact that this succeeds so seemingly effortlessly and that the result sounds so easy and effortless, but at the same time so rousing, is proof of the great mastery of everyone involved. Everyone has mastered their craft and, more importantly, everyone has deeply internalized the vocabulary of this music, everyone communicates on an equal level and with joy. A joy that is transmitted to the listener from the first bar - with a mixture of originals and groove-jazz versions by Adele, Billie Eilish, Whitney Houston, Lionel Richie and many more.

There are not many young jazz musicians who master their instrument as virtuoso as Jakob Manz and whose playing sounds so unpretentious, clear, song-serving and soulful at the same time. The fact that he succeeds in this is due on the one hand to his talent and the determination with which he works on his musical expression. And on the other hand, his desire to inspire and touch the audience with his music. He says it is important to him to play his very special instrument, the alto saxophone, in a way that fills the room, but at the same time reaches each individual listener directly and immediately. And you can say that he succeeds, whether in the club, in large concert halls, on festival stages or wherever you hear his new album.