A key component of Michael Wollny's [em] trio, nominated by Kulturspiegel as “Germany's most creative jazz trio,” drummer/composer Eric Schaefer is most certainly one of the “clandestine stars of the German jazz scene,” as Die Zeit has it. He has already appeared on over 40 albums as leader or sideman and is one of the finest young drummers in Europe. It was therefore only a matter of time before he made his debut as a leader on the ACT label, which has been doing so much in recent times to focus attention on some of the remarkable talent to found on the current German jazz scene. Who Is Afraid of Richard W.? fearlessly strides into Richard Wagner's back garden, uproots a few potted palms, tramples on his dahlias and creates havoc in his rose garden. The result of this romp sees the ‘Valkyries’ riding to dub-step, Siegfried preparing for battle to reggae while Lohengrin goes psychedelic. All this somehow does not upset Tom Arthur's customary elegance, while Meitz and upcoming bass talent Eckhardt are perfectly tuned in to Schaefer's wavelength. Amazingly, the inherent drama in Wagner's works are not sacrificed for effect, neither do his melodies perish when plucked out of the past and exposed to the harsh glare of the present; Schaefer has a shrewd musical brain and has the ability to make rhythms dance, what's more he's going places, as this album makes clear.