"When Hannes Beckmann visited me here in New York City a few month ago he arrived with one piece of luggage, two violins and a tape. And I knew right away: The heat is on again. Hannes is certainly one of the few musicians, whose bloodstream plugs directly into his instrument. Passion, a lot of it, rage, anger - whatever moves him runs freely and urgently to the strings. Feelings become sound, which again fills the heart and soul of the listener. Nobody, who hears him play his violin, stays untouched. His musical expression is open, honest, direct. No room for misunderstandings.
Of course he studied music and composing, first in Düsseldorf, then in Munich. Even law. And he makes good use of his technical knowledge. For example: His "European Suite", which was performed as a centennial celebration by the "Münchener Philharmoniker" and an added jazz section with the composer at the baton. Or his very successful tour to Odessa, the Mekka of great violinists, where critics enthusiastically praised his virtuosity.
Hannes' personality is multi facetted. I never met another musician with such an analytical intellect paired with such a burning heart. Must be the part gipsy blood that runs through his veins. Which allows him on the other hand to break musical and cultural barriers with an amazing ease. He played with such different people as Baden Powell, Attila Zoller, Birelli Lagrene, Phillip Catherine, Zipflo Reinhardt, Dusko Goykovic, Dom Um Romao, Ray Mantilla, Wolfgang Schmid, Edir und Pery dos Santos, Sreten Krtic, Alvin Queen, Edgar Wilson und Rudi Schröder.
When I first met Hannes years ago, he had a group called SINTO with musicians friom Brazil, the States, Munich and Stuttgart. The musical range covered everything from samba to jazz to Django Reinhardt, yet highly original. Hannes Beckmann is a European by origin, but with a worldwide heart or, in other words: a true musician, which is a synonym for universal anyway.
PS: The tape he brought to New York was the first take of this CD."
