This classical piano trio lives on and on. In recent years, countless bands, particularly younger ones, have shown that piano, drums and bass consistently manage to conjure up appealing moods and fresh musical ideas. And, with a few extensions, one can step away even further away from the traditional format: Roman Schuler’s Trio does not have the word extended in its name without reason. First, Extended is what the band formally is—the three instrumentalists have a certain passion for soul, funk and especially hip hop and integrate these elements into their sound, which can distinctly be heard. Roman Schuler also draws on his experiences as a musician with Ferris MC and Max Mutzke. And second, Extended also refers to the instruments which, besides the grand piano, include synthesisers, an old moog and working with samples. So they do not shy away from using the electronic elements to reference their seventies fusion jazz rock. The trio’s playing is governed by groove, and improvised with pop-affine melody lines teeming with exuberant energy: this spring, Roman Schuler, born in Karlsruhe and trained in the Mannheim Pop Academy amongst other places, released his first album “On Behalf of Myself” on RSxT —a sample of his talents, happy to experiment and promising a furious live event.
