Siekmann, Henning
Don't Push The River
On his debut album Don't Push the River, Henning Siekmann blends classical and modern acoustic fingerstyle with a playful and inventive compositional approach, creating an authentic and highly varied mixture of lyrical melodies, diverse tonal colors, and intricate dynamic layers. There's no overt fingerstyle acrobatics to be admired here - though the passionate musician often succeeds in weaving moments of virtuosity and drama into his arrangements, which serve one purpose: to create songs of timeless beauty that, when united on an album, leave few listeners untouched. Whether making the passage of time tangible with melancholy ("The Days Went By," "Meet You at the End of the Road"), bringing literary characters to life ("Fantine"), or transforming a painting by Paul Klee ("Rhythmus der Fenster") into a musical artwork, this musician, endowed with a remarkably rich imagination, is able to coax enchanting tones from his guitar. Those who take the time to explore the atmospheric depth and richness hidden within the songs of this album will gradually unlock the full quality of the music. Literature and philosophy, poetry and film, people and the world around him, are the influences that shape Henning Siekmann's multifaceted solo album Don't Push the River.