Baritone saxophonist Tini Thomsen leaves no room for doubt about her mission on stage: ‘I bring energy, not complicated solos.’ It says a lot about the musical aspirations and drive of the musician, who left her home town of Hamburg for Amsterdam in 2003 but has since returned to Germany. A performance by Thomsen and her four other band members swings, surprises, rocks and energizes. The ingredients are simple but effective: all-out effort, dedication, and the musicality of the instrumentalists. In addition to a virtually punk-rock-like approach, live on stage Thomsen’s quintet can also effortlessly scale things back to impress the audience with soft, elegant and subtle playing. Cruise along with the melodic adrenalin rush of this German sax player and be surprised by one of the few saxophonists in the world who can make this instrument sound like true rock ‘n’ roll.
