David Becker Tribune - Batavia (2010) [Hi-Res]

In a successful musical career now spanning 25 years, “Grammy” nominated David Becker has evolved into an outstanding instrumentalist on the international jazz guitar scene. Becker demonstrates his fabulous musicality at all times, be that at the side of his mentor Joe Diorio, with whom he recorded the 2005 duo CD 'The Color Of Sound', as a professor at American conservatories, or as a live musician who has been much celebrated on the world's stages.

With his last album, the critically acclaimed 'Leaving Argentina', David Becker presented homage to the diverse people and cultures of Argentina. Now, he is inviting listeners on a musical journey with a very personal background. His new work, 'Batavia', documents the history of his family roots from Germany and Holland to Indonesia and tells their story of captivity in a Japanese concentration camp during WWII.

As always, Becker applies his devotion of universal comprehension to the imaginative instrumentals on 'Batavia'. The CD was recorded with founding DBT member and brother Bruce on drums, Bolle Dieckmann on bass and other guest performers such as Russell Ferrante (Yellowjackets) on piano. The songs are in the typical style of a modern jazz trio, like 'Bali', or solo acoustic guitar pieces like 'Selamat Pagi', which reveal the American performer – who makes his home Wuppertal and L.A. – as an outstanding soloist with great charisma. With 'Batavia', which starts with fusion flair and goes all the way to timelessly beautiful sound paintings, David Becker invites the listener to join him on an exciting, imaginative and highly emotional journey into the wide world of an extraordinary person and musician.