JOURNEY TO THE SOURCE
Journey To The Source is a jazz quartet with deep roots and an ever-searching spirit. Founded in 1995, the group has performed extensively throughout Germany, Poland, Spain, Switzerland, Portugal, and France, carving out a sound that is unmistakable from the very first notes. Their music is a living crossroads—where Blues and Hard Bop meet African rhythms, Far Eastern and Oriental colors, and the pulse of Funk—creating a sound rich with soul, depth, and kinetic energy.
Over more than 25 years, Journey To The Source has documented their musical journey through several acclaimed recordings, including Fuasi & Ensemble, Fuasimodo Rings A Bell, Fuasi & Ensemble – Live at Café Central (Madrid), and The Afro-Cubano Latin Jazz Connection, all captured live in concert. Their most recent release, Journey To The Source, marks their second studio album, following the earlier studio production The Abakuá. Each recording reflects the group’s commitment to spontaneity, collective storytelling, and music as a living, breathing art form.
Fuasi Abdul-Khaliq – saxophones, clarinet, flute
Fuasi began his professional career in 1972 in Los Angeles with the late pianist and cultural visionary Horace Tapscott and his institution UGMAA (Union of God’s Musicians and Artists Ascension). This marked the beginning of a lifelong connection to Tapscott’s Pan-Afrikan Peoples Arkestra. Based in Germany for the past three decades, Fuasi has toured extensively across Europe, Asia, Africa, the South Pacific, and the Americas. A prolific bandleader and composer, he leads numerous ensembles and has shared the stage with many of jazz’s most respected voices, bringing a deep sense of history, purpose, and spiritual intent to every performance.
Rolf Zielke – piano
Originally from Hameln, Germany, Rolf Zielke is a pianist of wide musical range and intellectual depth. He has performed with artists such as Charlie Mariano, Mike Stern, and David Friedman, and is an active educator at the Jazz Institute Berlin, the Hanns Eisler School of Music, and the University of the Arts (UdK). He is also the author of Global Groove: A Complete Guide to Playing in Odd Meters for All Instruments, published by Advance Music/Schott, and leads several ensembles of his own, documented on multiple recordings.
Kenny Martin – drums
Hailing from Queens, New York, Kenny Martin studied at Berklee College of Music and with legendary drummers including Tony Williams, Jack DeJohnette, Billy Cobham, and Narada Michael Walden. One of the most recorded drummers of his generation, he has appeared on nearly 150 albums and has led his own bands for many years. His career includes collaborations with an extraordinary range of artists across jazz, funk, pop, and experimental music, bringing power, finesse, and deep groove to every musical setting.
Maximilian Hughes – electric bass
Maximilian Hughes began his musical path singing in choir and playing clarinet before finding his voice on electric bass. He holds degrees from the University of Maryland, UC San Diego, and Berklee College of Music, and has appeared on recordings with artists spanning jazz, soul, and world music. Based in Berlin, he is a faculty member at the Jazz Institute Berlin and the author of the music education books Find Your Individual Way and Creative Solo Bass. His playing blends compositional clarity with a strong rhythmic foundation and melodic imagination.
Together, Journey To The Source continues to honor tradition while looking forward—making music that listens deeply, speaks honestly, and moves with purpose.
JOURNEY TO THE SOURCE
LIVE IN QUASIMODO
