" This outstanding Trio Friedrich-Hebert-Moreno celebrated the art of musical communication. The three of them understand how to present their own forms of expression and brilliant technique as a matter of course. Juergen Friedrich is not only an exceptionally expressive lyrical pianist, but also a sought-after composer and a traveller between worlds, who, in the space of a few years, has created his own profile. In John Hebert and Tony Moreno he has found two soul mates. As a trio, they master the art of equal interplay and interaction. Despite the aplomb of each individual, the common cause is in the centre of their music. At the same time, each musician probes their own freedom. In these dialogues, one would think that there are no rules, but every piece is consistent in itself and full of different timbres and tone colors, in which Jazz but also classical elements can be found. One of the very important piano trios. A convincing evening."
Suedkurier 2005

" No retreat to safe terrain. Friedrich's eyes are focused straight ahead. Sometimes explosive, pulsating, ecstatic. Sometimes so delicate and of such beauty that you would like to freeze in awe. Sold out. Raving applause."
Braunschweiger Zeitung 2005

" The interplay of these four musicians can only be termed ãextraordinaryÒ."
Osnabruecker Zeitung 2005

" An excellent piano trio, that is normally at home in the romantic flow of elements, invites as guest soloist a well known power player into its midst. And behold: reason and emotion, sensibility and luminance, intimacy and fire go hand in hand. Dave Liebman is one of today's the most celebrated soprano saxophonists. The tunefulness of his themes and the richness of tone take us through the shining fantasy worlds of Friedrich's compositions, that the soloist approaches uninhibitedly and with a high level of emotional intelligence. The trio, made up of Juergen Friedrich on piano, John Hebert on bass and Tony Moreno on drums, performs as a unique and self-defined body of sound, allowing poetry to surface in the little things. The three of them harmonize in a delicately structured and finely balanced trio culture, and in their equitable equilibrium and unreserved receptivity, without hermetic self-sufficiency, are open for cooperation with Liebman. The togetherness of the trio with the soloist can perhaps be discerned best with the last piece of the evening: 'Coincidence' invites, as Juergen Friedrich puts it, chance into the game. Blind chance, however, is not meant for one second, rather a communicative openness that results from genuine dialogue, one that does not want to hear what he already knows but is receptive for the new."
Tobias Boecker

" A trio with a star guest. But still a band that is a united unit. How is that possible? It is the common language, that the trio Friedrich-Hebert-Moreno celebrates with the saxophonist Dave Liebman. A successful undertaking because the music could not be more imaginative, and someone other than Liebman would not harmonize as well. It is, apparently, possible to expand an existing band concept, the mix is the key. The trio around Juergen Friedrich is now in its seventh year. The young German met his current colleagues at a jam session in New York. One meeting can make the difference, as we all know. When it does work at once, then it is possible to develop your own material, fine tune it, optimise the team play, and the result is a band that has a great future. It won't be difficult for Juergen Friedrich to prove that any more, given that the musicians play with such individuality, such diversity, such independence and brilliance. The trio communicates ingeniously, sublimely and with plenty of finesse. Seemingly weightlessly, Friedrich, the contrabassist John Hebert and the drummer Tony Moreno access whole musical landscapes. On level pegging, they act as a team, as their name suggests, and as a cohesive unit, they convince from the very first note onwards. To start with, there is Friedrich himself, who exhibits a musical maturity that more than matches his multi-layered curiosity. Possessing the inner logic of a Keith Jarret, without, however, taking over his characteristic style, he is always exciting and unpredictable. He avoids playing what we are used to hearing. Free and uninhibited, he discovers his own melodic phrases in a way that could not be fresher, and develops sound pictures that could not be more stirring. Aesthetic, but always questioning, without haste, without conceit and flippancy, always close to his music. His own music. After all, Friedrich does contribute most of the compositions of the evening himself. But the contrabassist John Hebert also writes for the trio, creates his own solo that reminds us of the early Dave Holland, when he played in the most progressive of all the Chick Corea trios, 'Circle', that was in the early seventies. Great Jazz. Similar to Scott LaFaro, Hebert builds the framework for imaginative interplay. So, yes, tradition is there in everything. Always discernible, always present. It swings when free style takes over. But it also breathes when they groove. Of course, this is also thanks to Tony Moreno. He captivates with his touch, his dynamism and his elegance, and it goes without saying that he is adept. He seems to have understood the real energetics of loud and quiet like no other, and he hears everything anyway. As one of the few drummers in the Gems, Moreno manages to produce a warm sound on the drums usually supplied by Jazz clubs. With Hebert, the emancipated dream walker, Moreno certainly forms one of the most exciting rhythm groups of our time. And Liebman? Well, Liebman convinced yet again with his unique tone and his sometimes wooden and awkward, sometimes melancholy and soulful language. The unmistakable Liebman: a giant under the soprano saxophonists, who distinctly contributed to the shaping of the instrument, together with none other than John Coltrane, Steve Lacy, Dexter Gordon and Wayne Shorter. However, more important for his real stature is his ability to perfectly integrate himself into this so excellently attuned trio."
Patrick Manzetti, Suedkurier, 1/05

" The music of the Friedrich-Hebert-Moreno trio seems to be made for Liebman. The band and their guest harmonized excellently. Together, they fulfilled the evening's promise of a great concert."
Westdeutsche Zeitung zum 25-jaehrigen Jubliaeums des Jazzklub Krefeld 2003

" The renowned US saxophonist Dave Liebman, who was the trio's guest reinforcement at the Domicil, with his unbelievably expressive and striking saxophone lines, matched the essence of the band perfectly. Abstraction, intelligence and sophistication characterised the performance of these four brilliant musicians."
Christoph Giese, Westfaelische Rundschau, 2003

"Resistance is one of the most brilliant piano-trio records in a long time. Exquisite conversations about cleverly composed themes, no empty demonstrations of technique but rather music with a purpose, free and tonal at the same time, conservative and simultaneously reaching for the unknown. It couldn’t be better. For interpretation and sound: five stars (out of five)"
Stephan Richter  Fonoforum  10/2003

"On their new record ‚Resistance’, pianist Juergen Friedrich, bassist John Hebert and percussionist Tony Moreno make music as sensitively and interactively as only the world’s best can. Whether it’s a ballad or the rapidly pulsating "Sonnet”: at all times, three equal musicians communicate with each other. Even in their three solo pieces, each musician plays so creatively that it seems as if his instrument is talking to itself."
Werner Stiefele, Stereoplay, 10/2003

"Musically abstract and ingeniously composed, but at the same time sensual, earthy and elegant." Martin Laurentius, jazzthing 9/2003

"It is no secret that in Juergen Friedrich, the German scene has an outstanding pianist and arranger whose ability at abstraction never ceases to surprise us. ‘Resistance’, his third trio-cd with bassist John Hebert and percussionist Tony Moreno, both from New York, shows that things are still moving forward with him and the trio. The recording is characterised by instinctivw sureness between the three musicians, who give each other plenty of space to experiment with the possibilities of their instruments. Friedrich’s lyrical concept is particularly strong in this context. The pieces are not merely intelligent compositions, but rather express an exceptional variety of different images and stories."
Hans-Juergen von Osterhausen, Jazzpodium  12/2003

"Piece for piece, Friedrich, Hebert and Moreno invent the piano trio anew on their CD Resistance. It is surprising how brilliantly they immerse themselves in each different composition and question ostensible constants of trio music such as expression or instrumentation and develop them from scratch. In doing so, the pieces follow an inner logic which forms the variety into unity. Democracy lives in this group, not only in their unpretentious name but in their music." 
Stefan Arndt, Jazzthetik 12/2003

"A great capacity for improvisation and blind understanding characterises this trio. Friedrich, Hebert and Moreno have not only (as usual) created a virtuoso record, but also a very impressive one. ‘Dachau’, in which the three musically reflect their visit to the Dachau concentration camp will probably stay with you the longest. An upsetting piece."
Peggy Thiele  www.jazzdimensions.de  11/2003

"The trio Friedrich-Herbert-Moreno has a structured, free-wheeling sound pregnant with personality and panache. This is progressive trio music that should be considered with that of pianists Paul Bley and Uri Caine. Introspectively extroverted. A paradox speaking to an enigma about an iconoclast. This music is a superb, poorly behaved collection that will tickle the fancy of any advant-gardist without running off the more mainstream."
Michael Bailey, allaboutjazz.com, 2001 (CD Surfacing)

"A true group performance. Surfacing is the debut recording of the trio - it seems almost impossible that they have achieved such empathy and finesse without years of exposure."
Dick Stafford, musicweb, 2001

"Here is an absorbing set of trio pieces skillfully played and intelligently put together by this exciting new group. Juergen`s talents as a pianist/composer were ably demonstrated on his CD 'Summerflood' with his quartet and guest Kenny Wheeler. On this trio recording he shows his keen perception of the genre. His writing is challenging and imaginative improvising and clarity of sound indicate his burgeoning maturity. Bassist John Hebert`s compositions provide an interesting contrast and I admire his strong playing. His full-bodied tone and avoidance of the obvious make him an ideal trio partner. The more experienced Tony Moreno on drums uses the wide range of colours at his disposal really effectively. His ingenuity and resourceful drumming are at the heart of the trio.

There`s a rich flow of musical ideas between these 3 talented players. Their interaction and spontaneity are very special. Coupled with the excellent recording quality, this is an exceptional beginning.

Bill Evans said that: 'Sometimes Scott, Paul and I would play the same tune over and over again. Rarely did everything fall into place, but when it did we thought it was sensational. What gave that trio it`s character was a common aim and a feeling of potential. The music developed as we performed and what you heard came through actual performance. The objective was to achieve the result in a responsible way. Naturally, as the lead voice, I might have shaped the performance, but I had no wish to be a dictator. If the music itself did not coax a response, I did not want one ...'

To be part of a group that has established that sort of musical trust is a wonderful experience. Here is a new trio in that manner to achieve that common goal. I wish them succes in the future."   
John Taylor, 02/2000 (CD Surfacing)

"This CD led by a very talented young pianist and composer, Juergen Friedrich, has a special atmosphere and a truly magical feeling in the way the three musicians communicated. With such a special debut recording, I look forward to future outing by this trio." 
David Liebman, 2000 (CD Surfacing)

"Pianist Jurgen Friedrich has a firm grasp on the Paul Bley-via-Bill Evans brand of lyrical improvisation, along with an elegant touch and plenty of poise. 3 1/2 stars out of 4."
Art Lange, Tower Records Pulse magazine, 02/2001 (CD Surfacing)

"Deceptively simple, there is a polite though adventurousness air to this attractive performance by a trio that sounds perfectly synchronized. While Jurgen Friedrich`s piano appears at first blush to be the lead voice, a close reviev reveals a group sound in which each member contributes his share. The music swings lightly but this is not by any means easy listening. There is an elegant sophistication to both the compositions and the improvisations, which while never showy nonetheless disclose a technical superiority. The pianist is not afraid to lay back and gently dart simple clusters or evan single notes over an active rhythmic bottom, not unlike birds gliding over a somewhat tempestuous river. At other times, there is a smooth calmness to the whole that never seams to meander, but provides a soothing pleasure not unlike that of the late Bill Evans. Friedrich's playing may derive from the Evans school, but he is more economical, which, at least to this listener, is a plus. Tony Moreno is one of the most underrated drummers on the scene, capable of many styles, listening and reacting with almost immediate precision. He boasts a rare delicacy, but can also drive hard and powerfully when necessary. John Hebert's bass melds quietly and unobtrusively, his pastel-like lines barely noticeable, but nearly always critical. The trio`s ability to change tempo and dynamics at a moment's notice is either the result of remarkable clairvoyance or (more likely) solid preparation. The results are both entertaining and enlightening, and this compellingly understated recording charms in a subtle manner that is almost breathless in its beauty."
Stephen Loewy, Cadence Magazin 09/2001 (CD Voyage Out)

"The trio Friedrich-Hebert-Moreno plays young jazz of the finest. They are virtuosos, composers of an astonishing richness of ideas and they play perfectly well together. They have much to say."
Landeszeitung Lueneburg