Thomas Fellow (guitars) – Stephan Bormann (guitars)
„They are fantastic!” – Tommy Emmanuel
They play with an intensity of a band and the timbre of an orchestra. And both guitar players accomplish the rare feat to make one forget both the stylistic and instrumental borders and to conjure music appealing to all senses. Hands On Strings already accomplished to equally delight audience and critics with their album “OFFROAD” published 2005 and played themselves instantly to a leading spot in the international guitar scene. This was followed by various invitations to festivals in the US and many European metropolis ranging from Rome to Hamburg.
Their new album “7/4” takes one into a mystery of sound, characterized by Arabic and southern American elements as well as concert music and Jazz and forms its own fascinating approach: some kind of GUITARRA NUEVA, one could say.
Thomas Fellow and Stephan Bormann are considered to be two of the most powerful protagonists in the current guitar world – Stephan not least because of his published works and his successful music projekts and meetings (Cristin Claas, Nils Landgren) and Thomas as percussive One-Man-Band at Friend ‘n Fellow and also as mastermind of the European Guitar Quartet.
Together as Hands On Strings they offer a compelling mixture of concert music, world music and Jazz – often breathtaking virtuous, always brisk new and independent. Furthermore both musicians are celebrating their pieces with a joy of playing which is carrying away the audience immediately.
„A New Experience of Guitar Music“
„Extraklasse“ (Westdeutsche Zeitung)
„Das soll ihnen erstmal einer nachmachen“ (Jazzpodium)
„Und der Hörer badet in … zeitloser und perfekter Schönheit“ (Akustik Gitarre)
„Meisterhaft…mitreißend virtuos.“ (Gitarre konkret)
“Although acoustic jazz guitar duos such as Larry Coryell & Philip Catherine, Biréli Lagrène & Sylvain Luc, and Ralph Towner & John Abercrombie long ago set the bar high in this arena, Hands on Strings ….have set it a little higher — into the stratosphere.”
“Thomas Fellow and Stephan Bormann are individually incredible players, but the telepathy and synergy they’ve found as a duo energizes their work to an exponential degree.” (Minor 7th – Fachzeitschrift USA)