"Manuel Krass coaxed uncountable nuances out of the fender rhodes piano"
- Saarbrücker Zeitung, 12. July 2016
"a gripping performance: swift and all of a piece. (The musicians) colored the words in billowingly psychodelic and jazzy sounds and played exciting intermezzi. Huge applause."
- Saarbrücker Zeitung, 15. September 2014
"a talented trio, which develop the music (...) in the language of modern and sometimes free jazz"
- New York Cadence Magazine, October 2013
"Trio Krassport has given an up-to-date meaning to Holsts' ideas in a flexible and creative way"
- Hifi & Records, April 2012
"But it's also the way, in which Krassport dissects the music with anatomising x-ray-vision, subtly illuminates, repositions again and assembles in new facets to a whole of about 75 minutes running time, that regularly reminds of the severe writer's meticulousness as well as the jazzer's view."
- Saarbrücker Zeitung, 16. August 2012
"not simply imitated, but congenially transfered"
"a joyful journey through acoustic space"
- Jazzpodium July/August 2012
"If the unexpected is what the listener is looking for, then one need look no further than piano trio Krassport"
- New York Cadence Magazine, January 2012
"communication on the highest level. Highly creative."
- Saarbrücker Zeitung, 03. January. 2012
"Next is a piano improvisation by Manuel Krass, which further blurs the borders between free improvisation and jazz - one of the most thrilling moments of Daniel Schnyders "Music for Symphony and Jazz Band""
- Saarbrücker Zeitung, 10.November 2011
"Manuel Krass almost merged with his instrument. With his sophisticated touch culture and his ability to enliven the notes, he fascinated again and anew."
Rheinpfalz, 13. September 2011
Lots of plaudit for the man on the piano
Trio Krassport is on tour presenting their second CD "The Planets", visiting Hamburg, Berlin and Belgium. Saarbrücken-based Manuel Krass is the sympathic leader of the band, which is highly acclaimed by music critics.
Saarbrücken.(...)His name is Manuel Krass, graduated jazz-pianist at the university of music Saar with top mark. Being the head and pianist of the band, he describes his formation "Krassport" with Johannes Schmitz (guitar) and Daniel "D-Flat" Weber (drums) as "experimental trio without a piano alpha dog and without bass".
Charmingly, the obligatorily hatted multitalent (trombone, drums) (...) combines self-consciousness and diversity. Krass' eloquent as well as casual announcements are a factor not to be underestimated, if the assignement is to make the experimental Krassport-sound accessible for the audience.
There will be many opportunities for that (...), releasing the second Krassport-CD "The Planets - Discovering Gustav Holst". As the title says, Krass & Co. apply themselves (...) to jazzifying the illustrious late-romantic suite, which British composer Gustav Holst (1874-1934) owns his fame to.
Krassport's planets-version was recorded at renowned Studio La Buissonne in south-france, Avignon. In the city near the Rhône, Krassport had won the Grand Prix and the Prix de public at the contest Tremplin Jazz d'Avignon in 2010. (...)
Apart from Krassport, Manuel Krass composed (...) the ballet "Silent Mov(i)e" (also participation as multi-instrumentalist) for the State Theatre Saarland and he gave lessons for several years at the VHS Völklingen ("music for actors").
For the future, Krass wishes to do "still more musical work in other cities, like Cologne, Essen, Berlin". Composing further ballets also was "definitely a focus".
Even the next Krassport-program is in developement: "For the first time no arrangements of musical material, but original compositions with the subject Alice in Wonderland." uhr
Saarbrücker Zeitung, 02/18/12
New York Cadence Magazine in January 2012 (click to enlarge)
"It became interesting with trio Krassport. The young musicians (...) presented their new program, a deconstructed, jazzy version of the late romantic orchestral suite "The Planets" by Gustav Holst. Partially improvised freely, partially notated and definite, the trio presented communication at highest levels. Forceful sound thunderstorms alternated with the most sparing tone drops in pianissimo: The audience listened closely, highly concentrated and curious in spite of the late hour. The result can be called jazz, which doesn't forget the classical approach of the original. In any case highly creative."
Saarbrücker Zeitung, 03.01.12
"Following up is a piano improvisation by Manuel Krass, which further blurs the borders between free improvisation and jazz - one of the most fascinating moments of the arrangement "Music for Symphony and Jazz Band" by Daniel Schnyder."
Saarbrücker Zeitung, 10.11.11
"one of the most beautiful releases in recent time"
- Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, 21. April 2011
"A true group music, elaborated to the smallest detail in spite of the obvious spontaneity, presented with extraordinary verve, forms both lively and succinct, a virtuosity that doesn't boast
(but is coy most of the time) and ideas en masse."
www.jazzmagazine.com, 06. August 2010