From Bavaria to NYC: Guitarist Philip Weberndoerfer Makes Waves with Debut Album ‘Tides’ Featuring Dayna Stephens, Releasing August 23 on Shifting Paradigm Records Guitarist and composer Philip Weberndoerfer, a German native based in New York City, will release his debut album as leader, Tides, on August 23, 2024. The album features his regular trio with bassist Richard Mikel and drummer Peter Traunmueller along with the celebrated saxophonist Dayna Stephens on five of the nine tracks.
Since moving to New York in 2016, Philip has become a notable figure in the city’s jazz scene. He has performed at countless venues including The Blue Note, Cornelia Street Cafe, Club Bonafide, Rockwood Music Hall, Cafe Bohemia, and The Atlantic. He was also chosen to represent Germany at the Blue Note Jazz Festival in collaboration with the Consulate General of Germany.
Growing up in the countryside of Bavaria, Philip’s life took an unexpected turn when he barely survived a traffic accident at the age of seven, in which he got hit by a truck. He suffered severe head injuries which restrained him from many regular activities. Needing to avoid any endeavors which could cause another trauma to the head, Philip stopped playing soccer and swimming classes and picked up the guitar, which opened up the gateway to music and would deeply impact his future path.
Philip began playing the classical guitar and went on to study jazz with leading German guitarists Helmut Kagerer and Paulo Morello. He graduated with an Artistic Diploma, a Diploma for Music Pedagogy, and a Masters Degree from the University of Music at Nuremberg. In addition, he studied in various masterclasses with Pat Martino, Peter Bernstein, Ben Monder, Jack Wilkins, Paul Bollenback, Jesse Van Ruller, Dick Oatts, Aaron Goldberg, Bob Mintzer, Kenny Werner, and many more.
At 26, Philip accepted a teaching position for jazz and popular guitar at the University of Music of Nuremberg. However, in 2013, another occurrence regarding his head revealed a path Philip didn’t necessarily expect. As an aftereffect of the accident, an annual exam revealed shadows in the frontal sinuses of his head which demanded invasive procedures. However, on the day of the surgery, the last routine inspection showed that the shadows miraculously had vanished. Having already taken off the time from teaching and gigging, Philip decided to utilize that open window to catch up on a long-term dream and booked the next flight to NYC.
There he had the opportunity to meet guitar legend Pat Martino, who had a multiple day residency at Birdland at the time. In a long gathering at the Ameritania Hotel, they played plenty of guitar and connected in discussions about music, health and the importance of nutrition in regard to head trauma. Pat was also one of the people who encouraged Philip to make the move across the ocean and come to New York. “You got to try!”, he said.
Following those words, Philip quit his university job and left behind his comfortable situation with regular engagements at local theaters, renowned orchestras, and his own ensembles to take a leap of faith and dive headfirst into the competitive jazz scene of New York City, on a mere tourist visa. By persistently hitting the sessions till 4am in the morning and with thesupport of established musicians in the scene, Philip got his O1 – Artist Visa approved after only three months of being in the city and soon and became a semifinalist at the 2015 Wes
Montgomery International Jazz Guitar Competition, judged by musicians and critics including Pat Martino, Bill Milkowski, and Gary Walker. On Tides, Weberndoerfer created a soulful body of compositions that drift between melancholy, lightheartedness, and fervor. Augmented by the empathetic musicianship of Mikel and Traunmueller, the trio joined with kindred spirit Dayna Stephens, whose artistic prowess and unique voice on the saxophone complemented the vision. The result of this collaboration is an imaginative album that celebrates space and openness, an apparent familiarity amongst the musicians, and a bold approach towards interplay that ebbs and flows while at the same time leaving room for each individual voice to breathe.
The album opens with Bobby Hutcherson’s “Little B’s Poem,” one of two standards in the set. Based on an arrangement by bassist Mikel, it’s full of reharmonizations and rhythmic modulations between sections. “Low Gravity” is next, inspired by Philip’s fascination with climbing, and used a hexatonic scale for its harmonic machinations. The third track is “Peace of Constance” which Philip says, “I wrote this to contemplate the idea of a permanent peace. It turned out to be a great saxophone feature!”
“My Ideal” is the other standard on Tides. “I’ve always cherished the intro and wanted to do a more modern take on it. I ended up playing it in E to utilize the open strings of the guitar, before transitioning to Eb with the band,” says Weberndoerfer. “Salted Sweets” is a waltz that welcomes the bittersweet embrace of melancholy. It’s followed by “Suspense and Certainty” which is a ballad written back in Nuremberg during the time Philip was preparing to move to NYC. The song uses a lot of suspended chords and creates a feeling on constant vagueness.
“Simple Task” is based on a traditional jazz blues form but pays homage to Thelonious Monk with its reharms, clusters, and quarter-tone bends. “The Gypsy” was written as a farewell to a friend. The final track is “One of These Days,” which leans more toward rock, starting with a simple riff which develops its gloominess throughout the tune, incorporating daunting chords contrasted by a serene melody and driving beat.
Guitarist Ben Monder, a friend and mentor, sums up the album perfectly, saying, “On his album Tides, Philip Weberndoerfer displays a knack for inventive song structures and a strong sense of melody. With a pure tone, lyrical lines, and mature chord work he adroitly navigates the harmonies he sets out for himself. An expert rhythm section and the always excellent Dayna Stephens help bring his vision to life.”