You could also call it minimalism – a voice (female) and a double bass (male) are the only sources of sound for an ensemble which is unique in many respects. Frau Contra Bass – a compact duo with jazz roots which interprets the principle of the Jamaican “version” in its own way. Cover songs spanning the wide universe of soul, jazz and pop whereby it is precisely the reworking which becomes an independent art form.
Katharina Debus and Hanns Höhn have been reducing pop songs to their essence since 2003 and have performed their reinterpretations in many clubs and festivals. A musical conversion, so to speak, reduced to the foundation walls. “Hereby both instruments are basically bare, they protect each other and find, beyond this, a freedom which represents a real venture at all times,” reported Jazzpodium magazine, in September 2007, on their debut CD. Two years and a dozen gigs later and they are now ready for their second album. With “Saal 3”, Frau Contra Bass prove that their eccentric take on compositions by Udo Lindenberg, Steve Miller and Jamiroquai has many sides to it.
Twelve song versions have been created without Frau Contra Bass limiting themselves to standard (conventional) interpretations of traditional classics. Whilst the FCB debut included Cole Porter’s “I´ve got you under my skin” amongst its versions, on “Saal 3” it is particularly the effusive pop entities of Elton John (“Your Song”) and Thomas Dolby (“The Key to her Ferrari”) that provide the special contrast of their journey through the genres. “It’s not about creating a “wow” effect like at a “best of” concert but, more so, a serious look at songwriting going beyond jazz,” says Hanns Höhn. “And, for this, we analyse a very broad repertoire. To just rework the popular hits wouldn’t be such a challenge.” Singer Katharina Debus adds, “Working with pop is also really appealing from the vocal interpretation viewpoint. With Frau Contra Bass we also highlight the other sides of these songs.”
That Frau Contra Bass also has a good sense for small but nice gestures is shown with the title of their album which is simply named after the place where it was produced. “Saal 3” is the name of the recording studio in the legendary former East German broadcasting house (a listed building) in Berlin’s Nalepastraße. Here two individualists have come together to continue their successful project. Busy singer Katharina Debus is, besides Frau Contra Bass, also a member of the awarded vocal ensemble the “Stouxingers” in Halle an der Saale. She is currently working at the Hamburger Schauspielhaus where she can be heard as the soloist in Horvart’s “Glaube, Liebe, Hoffnung”. Hanns Höhn, meanwhile, has made a name for himself as a great accompanist and outstanding soloist and works with many renowned international artists. He is currently working in the "Tango Transit" and "Sauerborn-Höhn-Sperrfechter" formations.
As Frau Contra Bass, Debus and Höhn brilliantly understand how to use the unique sound of their minimalistic instrumentation and how to interpret their chosen music in a sensitive yet still highly dynamic way.
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