Natalie Cressman and Ian Faquini Unveil Their Vibrant Ode GUINGA, Featuring the Titular Brazilian Artist and Composer – out April 12, 2024 via GroundUP

Listen to the first single, “Lavagem de Conceição”, featuring Guinga, here.

Preorder here

Traveling through the lush paradise of Brazilian music, there are few more scenic byways than música popular brasileira – the enduring alchemy of fusing genres like samba and baião within the larger frameworks of Jazz, rock, classical and popular music. Even without a map, exploring this unique terrain with its rich harmonic complexity, elaborate lyrics, and remarkable emotive metaphors, leads musicians towards an inescapable reality: all roads lead to Guinga – the master guitarist, composer arranger and Brazilian music legend.

Born as Carlos Althier de Souza Lemos Escobar, Guinga grew up in Rio de Janeiro absorbing Brazilian contemporary and folkloric music as well as classical, rock, pop and Jazz. Having shaped a creative identity that embraces the signature energy of Brazil’s diverse artistic enterprise, Guinga’s legacy lives within the spirit of crafting a voice that’s essentially Brazilian while cultivating a vivacious universal appeal. A spirit lovingly captured by trombonist Natalie Cressman and guitarist Ian Faquini within their new GroundUP album GUINGA, releasing on April 12, 2024.

Trombone/classical guitar duos are very rare in Jazz. While few dare to exist beyond the occasional recording or live performance, Cressman and Faquini have transformed their platform into a sophisticated medium showcasing the extraordinary influence Brazilian contemporary artistry has had on music throughout the world. Tagged as the “Bossa Nova girl” while studying at the Manhattan School of Music, Cressman has always been inspired by Brazilian culture, frequently attending the California Brazil Camp in the mountainous enclave of Cazadero, California where she met Faquini, a Guinga protégé teaching at this annual summer gathering.

In time they discovered the dynamic nature of their instrumental pairing as well as the unique aperture it lends to the intricate nature of Brazilian music. Having mastered a resonant, open, and full bodied sound, Cressman and Faquini utilize a spacious tonal vocabulary, deft harmonic pairings and meticulous arranging that perfectly lends itself to the unique repertoire they’ve cultivated over the years. Steadied by the Brazilian aural tradition of learning, each has honed the necessary skills that accentuate the rich lyrical nature of música popular brasileira with its exquisite storytelling and incisive musical lens. Their two previous albums, Setting Rays of Summer (2019) and Auburn Whisper (2022) received well-deserved acclaim and attention.

Organic, improvisational and often initiated by humming out melodies, Guinga’s compositional style has played a significant role in shaping Cressman and Faquini’s artistic chemistry. Having spent years watching the master at work, both are fluent in the processes that powers Guinga’s magic, as his fluid incorporation of musical influences blends seamlessly with the florid temperament of their own creative ambitions. After recording albums exploring their personal relationship to contemporary Brazilian music, it was only a matter of time before Cressman and Faquini decided to focus on Guinga, a musician who’s been a mentor, teacher, collaborator and friend throughout the course of their careers.

Unlike most tribute albums celebrating artists long past, Guinga’s contributions are central to the process of the recording. Composing, arranging, and collaborating as a lyricist, Guinga’s ingenuity is matched only by his evocative and often haunting vocals. Compact, discreet, remarkably positioned with no less than fourteen songs, the album flows effortlessly like a personal juke box supplied by an endless roll of Brazilian centavos, all while unfolding into a delicate mosaic of Guinga’s musical world view.

Always fond of compelling song titles, the album begins with “Contradição (Contradiction)”, Faquini and Guinga’s first collaborative compositional effort. Overdubbing her trombone, Cressman constructs guiding harmonies while Guinga’s voice sways with the “valsa blues” structure of the song. With its paradoxical title and timeless melody, “Bolero de Satã (Satan’s Bolero)” was a hit for Guinga during the 1970’s. Romantic, ornate, serenaded by Cressman’s gorgeous solo and Faquini’s pristine harmonics, Bolero de Satã evolves into a superb example of the unique prism this duo applies to Guinga’s artistry.

Celebrating the life and work of Conceição Damasceno, the founder of the BrasArte Brazilian arts center in Berkley, California, first single “Lavagem de Conceição” combines the baião rhythm from northern Brazil with the ceremonial spirit of lavagem or “washing” (a common ritual of the Candomblé religion originally established by enslaved West Africans) supported by background vocals from Guinga’s partner Anna Paes and Natalie’s mother Sandy Cressman. Exemplifying Guinga’s love for angular melodies is “Aria de Opereta” (Operetta Aria), a somber tune lightly adorned by the subtle shades of a classical arrangement.

With no wasted notes, the short and sweet “Delírio Carioca” (Carioca Delirium) delicately soothes via Guinga’s “feverish” appeal to all matters of the heart, while “Ramo de Delírios” (Bouquet of Delirium) similarly explores “obsession and passion” representing one of Cressman and Faquini’s favorite tunes from Guinga’s first recorded album. Pirouetting with intricate sixteenth notes, Guinga again adapts the rhythmic elasticity of baião with “Por Trás de Brás de Pina” (Behind Brás de Pina), his vivacious ode to a northern neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro. Heavily influenced by Duke Ellington, Guinga takes the helm playing with Cressman on “Par Constante” (Constant Pair). Borrowing heavily from Ellington’s “In a Sentimental Mood”, Guinga’s love for this era of Jazz is clear as Cressman captures the moment beautifully with her technical dexterity and nostalgic tone.

Circling back to Rio, “Garoa e Maresia” (Mist and Sea Air) speaks to Guinga’s ache for the gentle waves of the city’s glorious beaches but the album’s tour de force of longing resides in “Segredo de Dadá” (Dadá’s Secret). Written during the height of COVID, Faquini’s ballad to Brazil, and of missing his grandmother, was lyrically adapted by Guinga to include his own desire to see the Bay Area again. On Guinga’s medley “Nítido e Obscuro / Geraldo No Leme” (Clear and Opaque / Geraldo in Leme), Cressman and Faquini make easy work of syncopated duple meters proving again their mastery of baião based rhythms. 

“Ellingtoniana” unfolds as Guinga’s intriguing exploration of the symbiotic relationship between Ellington’s contribution to the great American songbook, and the prolific beauty of the melodic paradigms within Brazilian contemporary music. With its subtle modulations on trombone and delicate counterpoint on guitar, “Viola Variada” (Varied “Guitar”) references the agile ways Cressman and Faquini choose to dance within this music as their phrasing allows each to lead before the song quietly comes to a close. Celebrating the end of this glorious achievement, Guinga concludes with “Vô Alfredo” (Grandpa Alfredo), a composition built upon the Pernambuco frevo rhythm from northeastern Brazil. Combining the energies of Carnaval with the diction of classical music, Guinga’s tribute to his grandfather becomes our final glimpse into the elegance of his compositional style, exemplified brilliantly by Cressman and Faquini’s elite command for their instruments.

Simplicity can feel like a rare commodity in our increasingly complex world. Knowing this, Natalie Cressman and Ian Faquini recognize that the simplicity of their instrumentation provides an introspective way to celebrate the legacy of música popular brasileira and the remarkable manner in which Guinga extends the vocabularies of its exceptional harmonic and melodic systems. Managing the perfect balance of space, pacing and musicianship, Cressman and Faquini have mastered the mechanics of unpacking the deep musical authority that defines the DNA of Brazilian music and the core of Guinga’s genius.

Understood as an artistic requirement, Cressman and Faquini clearly recognize the nature of their quiet stage.  “It’s a very noisy world we live in,” they shared, adding “the softer subtleties of the style of our music is like a balm. It’s healing and cathartic to play and to experience it as a listener.” Within this slender margin comes a delicate responsibility for framing the kind of artistic excellence Guinga epitomizes. Guinga does this and so much more. Exploring this legend’s proprietary language of life, love and the vivid emotional mindset that transcribes them to music, Cressman and Faquini have crafted a sophisticated space to experience the buoyant resonance throughout the fluorescent landscape of Guinga’s storied career.

Thank you to Lydia Leibman Promotions for sharing with us

Natalie Cressman website click here

Rising Star Vocalist Returns With New Album & UK Tour Dates.

Buy here

Songs With My Father, is the new album by the remarkably gifted jazz singer Emily Masser. While still a student at The Guildhall School Of Music And Drama, 20-year-old Masser’s burgeoning talent has already attracted very positive attention from jazz luminaries such as Claire Martin and Liane Carroll, who have both praised Emily for her original approach to interpretation, making timeless classics sound newly minted and excitingly different. Her notable contribution to the respected Clark Tracey Quintet’s album ‘Introducing Emily Masser’ further highlighted Emily’s musical prowess, gaining a wide range of accolades and prompting UK Jazz News to describe her as a “New Star of British Jazz”. Emily’s new work Songs With My Father is an album dedicated to Emily’s late mother, featuring her father Dean Masser on saxophone and an all-star rhythm section: in-demand Hungarian pianist Matyas Gayer (Eddie Henderson, Scott Hamilton), rising-star bassist James Owston (Xhosa Cole, Greg Abate), and ultra-swinging drummer Steve Brown (Scott Hamilton, Barry Harris).

Songs With My Father features a mix of modern twists on jazz standards and also highlights Emily’s vocal approach to bebop. The songs and arrangements explore a range of moods: from the DNA-fuelled soli sections to the more reflective side in ‘Song For My Mother’ and ‘I’ll Be Seeing You’, which Emily first sang at her mother’s funeral. Meanwhile, tracks like ‘Dat Dere’ tap into the fun, silly side of the father-daughter relationship, with a vocalese reflecting how Emily and Dean’s bond has changed over the years. Speaking about the album, Emily says*: “Songs With My Father is an album I made in memory of my Mum, Gill, who passed away just before I moved to London to study at The Guildhall. Many of these songs were her favourites, and recording them with my Dad has been such a special experience, bringing me closer to both of them. Working with him on this album was incredible, and I’m so grateful to have played with such an amazing band….I’m beyond excited to share this album, and I hope if my mum is listening, she’s smiling wherever she is.”*

The eminent critic and broadcaster Alyn Shipton adds: “Emily Masser was my pick for a “Taking Off” feature in Jazzwise magazine in early 2024. This album shows exactly why - displaying the range of her very individual talent from the heart-rendingly beautiful “I’ll Be Seeing You” to the mischievous evocation of childhood in “Dat Dere”, not to mention the sheer fun of “Old Devil Moon”. The father- daughter empathy is evident throughout, particularly on “Song For My Mother”, but there’s also splendid support, from the romping to the sensitive, by the rhythm team of Gayer, Owston and Brown.” The album is a fitting tribute and an endearing nod to the relationship between two excellent cross-generational musicians accompanied by a rhythm section displaying pure synergy.

Self-Released

Recorded at Steinway Recordings by Spencer Cozens

Mixed and Mastered at Quiet Money Recordings by James McMillan

Personnel: Emily Masser (vocals), Dean Masser (saxophone), Matyas Gayer (piano), James Owston (bass) and Steve Brown (Drums)

Emily Masser website click here

Thank you to Rupert Burley from Dynamic Agency for sharing with us

TOUR DATES:

01/02 – Southport Jazz Festival (Album Launch), The Grand, Southport 11/02 – Norwich Jazz Club

12/02 – Head Of Steam, Huddersfield 19/02 – 606 Club, Chelsea

20/02 – Chesterfield Jazz Club

22/02 – Peggy’s Skylight, Nottingham 25/02 – Kingston Upon Hull

26/02 – Scarborough Jazz 28/02 – Wakefield Jazz Clun

03/03 – Pizza Express (Soho), London

06/03 – Alsager Golf & Country Club, Stoke on Trent 07/03 – Bodle Street Green, Hailsham

10/03 – Spice Of Life (Soho), London 11/03 – Eastside Jazz Club, London 19/03 – Concorde Club, Eastleigh 22/03 – The Bear Club, Luton

Classically trained pianist, vocalist, singer/songwriter, composer, arranger and producer Macha Gharibian first discovered her own musical universe through immersing herself in the New York jazz scene. With Armenian ancestry, a Parisian heart, and a New Yorker by adoption, her new record spotlights her voice as an ode to life and testament to feminine power.

Borrowing its name from a poem by the great Maya Angelou, Gharibian’s fourth album ‘Phenomenal Women’ is set to release on January 24th on Rue Bleue Meredith Records.

Pre Order here

Captivated by a video of Angelou reciting her poem in London in 1987, Gharibian found herself urged to pay musical tribute to the poet, and to the strength of all women. “In all the battles we are fighting right now—against sexism, the violence women endure, and for equality—I want to tell them, “We are brilliant, we are the wealth, the intelligence, and the power, we are phenomenal.””

Influenced by the school of ‘natural vocalists’ in Nina Simone, Jeanne Lee and Joni Mitchell, Gharibian’s luminescent energy leads her listener through the record’s delicately varied tonal palette of celebration, prayer, joy, and melancholy across the album’s ten original compositions and three imaginative covers.

Drawing from the music of her childhood*—especially her father's voice (Dan Gharibian, co-founder of the group Bratsch), which she heard singing in Armenian, Russian, Greek, and Romani—*Gharibian blends her personal cultural heritage with contemporary styles, singing in five languages on Phenomenal Women, embracing the inflections of English, Armenian, French, Portuguese and Arabic with undeniable ease.

Accompanied by her long-term collaborator Belgian drummer Dré Pallemaerts and bassist Kenny Ruby, Gharibian breaks away from the trio format she’s known for and shares her vocal duties for the first time with singers Lea Maria Fries, Linda Oláh and Isabel Sörling. Soaring gospel-tinged improvisations and three-part vocal harmony, ethereal synth timbres, propulsive piano-led grooves, and crystal clear modern production provide the musical backdrop for a body of work that offers hope and unity in a divided world.

Macha Gharibian | Lead Vocals, Piano, Fender Rhodes Lea Maria Fries | Vocals
Linda Oláh | Vocals Dré Pallemaerts | Drums Sylvain ‘Kenny’ Ruby | Electric Bass, Keyboards Isabel Sörling | Vocals (Track 3)

All music and lyrics by Macha Gharibian, except ‘Nare Nare’, ‘Nobreza’, and ‘Ya Dirati’

'Thank you to those who appreciate this music and come to the concerts, your presence and your support are immensely precious to me. To all the women who inspire me to find my own path and to all the women in the world who fight for peace, freedom and equality. My immense gratitude to Maya Angelou.'

Recorded at Midilive Studio, Villetaneuse, France, from March 4 to 8, 2024 and at Seventeen Studio, Paris, on May 8, 2024

Produced by Macha Gharibian

Artistic Direction in the Studio Daniel Yvinec

Sound Recording and Mixing by Olivier Lude
Sound Assistant Timothée Gumy
Editing by Timothée Gumy and Macha Gharibian
Mastered by Frederik Dejongh at Jerboa Mastering
Cover & Photography by Laurent Seroussi

Graphic Design by Guillaume Saix
Piano Steinway D fixed by Bastien Herbin, Pianos Quintessence

Executive Production by Meredith Prod
With the support of the Fondation BNP Paribas, Adami, CNM, SPPF

© & P 2024 RUE BLEUE & MÉRÉDITH PROD

Thank you to Liam DeTar from Jazzfuel for sharing with us

EUGENIE JONES UNVEILS SELF-TITLED ALBUM- A GROOVE-INFUSED JOURNEY INTO PASSION, BETRAYAL, & REVENGE ON JANUARY 20, 2025

The Evolution of a Genre as Seen by One of the Few African American Singer/Songwriters in Jazz Today.

Get ready for an exhilarating musical experience as Jazz Hero Award winning singer and songwriter Eugenie Jones releases her self-titled album, EUGENIE, set to drop on January 20, 2025.

Pre order album here

Credited for making jazz resonate with broader audiences, Jones blends emotive storytelling with universal themes reflecting shared human experiences that transcend geographic and cultural boundaries. Her diverse style and engaging performances invite audiences to connect with jazz in a surprisingly relatable way.

Produced by Grammy-winning jazz heavyweight Lonnie Plaxico, this album weaves rich melodies, exquisite string arrangements, and a narrative tapestry exploring the depths of love, betrayal, and resilience. Louis Armstrong Jazz Award recipient Lonnie Plaxico, also known for his collaborations with Academy Award-winning Director Spike Lee and Dizzy Gillespie, said, "It was an honor to produce and perform with Eugenie Jones on her recording. She is laser- focused, full of expression, energy, and passion, with a voice that is original and soulful. The selection of songs and Eugenie's original music is an atmospheric experience."

Since her 2013 debut Black Lace Blue Tears, singer and songwriter Eugenie Jones has established herself as a formidable force in the jazz landscape, captivating audiences with her evocative storytelling and soulful vocal artistry. With this sixth release and thirty-two published originals to her credit, EUGENIE further cements her reputation as a must-know artist, showcasing thirteen tracks that blend original compositions with fresh, "Eugenie-ized" interpretations of jazz standards and beloved soul classics.

Critics are already buzzing about the album. C. Michael Bailey raves, "Eugenie Jones has released exceptional jazz-oriented recordings for the last decade. Her writing is beautifully grown up and real, and her voice is warm, humidly pliant with a deeply sensual center." NEA Jazz Master Reggie Workman, who performed on with Jones on her chart-topping double-CD, Players, describes Jones saying, “This is an extraordinary singer, songwriter, and a source of a light we are fortunate to experience.”

The album features a stellar lineup of sixteen musicians in New York and Seattle recording sessions. Jones collaborates with Plaxico in New York alongside the standout artistry of pianists Brandon McCune and Mamiko Watanabe; trumpeter Gil Defay; saxophonist Rico Jones; cellist Jessica Wang, violinist Yoojin Park, drummer Russell Carter, and percussion Kahlil Bell. Seattle's vibrant music scene contributes to the album's dynamic sound, with contributions from pianists Darrius Willrich and Peter Adams, saxophonist Alex Dugdale, guitarist Michael Powers, bassists Elliot Kuykendall and Chris Symer, drummer Ronnie Bishop and percussionist Ernesto Pediangco.

Album highlights include the original smoke and satin string ballads "Starlight Starbright" and "Nothing Better," a sweltering, bluesy rendition of Peggy Lee's "I Love Being Here with You," the melodic self-declarative "Why I Sing," and a captivating take on Marvin Gaye's "Trouble Man." A refurbished rendition of Nina Simone's cult classic, "Sinnerman," and the life-inspiring original, "Hold Back the Night," join the array of song selections in showcasing the depth and breadth of Jones' exquisite vocal prowess and her ability to convey complex emotions authentically.

Jazz enthusiasts and music lovers of all kinds are drawn to Jones' vocal style and heartfelt originals as storytelling that intimately parallels to their life experiences. Writer Charles Mudede unpacks this connection, saying, "Eugenie Jones makes audiences feel jazz. She is an emotive, engaging song stylist who entertains, dazzles, and decisively wins over audiences." Further cementing that connection, EUGENIE encapsulates Jones' artistic evolution, reflecting a decade of hard-won achievements. With multiple vocalist awards, a #7 ranking on Jazz Week's Top 50, and the International Jazz Association's prestigious Jazz Hero Award to her credit, Jones has proven to be more than a musician—she is a cultural force who has successfully intertwined jazz and community service.

Eugenie Jones has served as Executive Producer of Seattle's Jackson Street Jazz Walk for seven years. She presents a stream of community concerts and educational pop-ups that honor music icons of the once vibrant African American Central District area, an all-but-forgotten historical community where high school jazz musicians Ray Charles, Ernestine Anderson, and Quincy Jones began their iconic journeys. Jones doubles the event's impact by using it to raise funds for non-profits that serve the needs of disadvantaged residents.

When it comes to her music, Jones describes her artistic journey, saying, "Pursuing a music career is a Sisyphean act unlike any other I've taken on. But it brings unmatched joy and purpose to my life. So, with this release, here I stand, rolling that boulder up the hill again."

Mark your calendars for January 20, 2025, when EUGENIE, Jones' most personal and ambitious project to date, will be available on all major streaming platforms. An invitation into her "Eugenie-ized" world of creativity, where every note embraces divergent audiences who share a common bond of loving music they can feel.

 Artist website click here

Thank you to Walter Laughridge of Bright Ideas for sharing with us.

Vocalist Marianne Solivan to release  new recording "Break’s Over"

Marianne Solivan – Voice, Buster Williams - Bass , Brandon McCune - Piano, Jay Sawyer – Drums. Release Date: January 17th, 2025, Imani Records.

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Break's Over highlights Solivan's love for the great Jazz vocal tradition and her uniquely personal stamp on standards and original compositions. Featuring Master bassist Buster Williams, pianist Brandon McCune and drummer Jay Sawyer on eight tracks that evoke passion, loss, despair and light. Marianne's brave ability to show emotion in every syllable draws the listener in while never stepping in to an overly dramatic place. With such a masterful trio of musicians surrounding her and creating beautiful musical energy, nuance and feeling, this album is sure to grab your attention and hold it tight.

Solivan has made a name for herself as a hard swinging, passionate, vocalist who has a commanding stage presence and is able to captivate audiences with her joyous exuberance and whit. Having performed and recorded with the likes of Christian McBride, Peter Bernstein, Jeremy Pelt, Bruce Barth, Gregory Hutchinson, Jonathan Blake, Xavier Davis, Michael Kanan, Steve Wilson, Gene Bertoncini and Lewis Nash, Solivan has been consistently raising the bar for singers of her generation.

Jordan Richardson at Blinded by Sound concludes "The exquisiteness, expression and sentiment of her singing are supreme. She is well beyond the go-through-the-motions singers of the genre by an enormous margin." With years of steady gigging (5 or 6 a week) in Boston during her school days at Berklee College of Music and The New England Conservatory, Solivan has had a unique opportunity to learn on the bandstand. These early years allowed her to hone her skills as a strong band leader and amass a huge, broad repertoire that can challenge any song hound. Her dedication to learning this music led her to study with a varied group of musician/educators that taught the tradition as well as modern approaches to the music. These tools have shaped a vocalist with deep roots in the vocal tradition yet without any of the "retro" feel. Solivan's singing is a mixture of honest storytelling with a modern sense of self and determination. 

In 2007 Solivan made the move to New York and began to sit in at many of the jam sessions the city has to offer. Smoke Supper Club was her first consistent "hang" and a venue that led to many of her later musical collaborations with Jeremy Pelt, Ugonna Okegwo, and others. Being a part of the scene has been a big part of the learning process and has been the catalyst for musical collaborations with Peter Bernstein, Steve Wilson and Lewis Nash. This visibility and consistency on the bandstand opened doors for gigs at the famed Smalls Jazz Club, Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola, Birdland, The Blue Note, and many others. And have led her to become one of the first call singers on the scene. In 2012 Solivan brought together her years of experience and musical collaborations to the studio and recorded a series of duos, trios, and quartet pieces that became her first CD, Prisoner of Love, on HiPNOTIC Records. Solivan recalls "I chose to work with a number of musicians on the project to showcase the musical environments that I have been working in for the last 4 years in New York, mainly small group settings. Together we told stories of love; lost, stolen, broken, desperate, and lonely."

The OTTOWA CITIZEN gets right to the heart of the beauty of the disc "On Prisoner of Love, vocalist Marianne Solivan surrounds herself with some A-list, hard-swinging company [and] sounds every bit in the same league as these seasoned accompanists. Solivan's expression of classic jazz feeling and values is so room-filling and personal, you really can't fault her disc one bit."

In 2014 she went into the studio with her working band, including pianist Xavier Davis, bassist Matthew Parrish and drummer Gregory Hutchinson and recorded SPARK which is an energized, swinging, honest and straight forward in its storytelling and sure to help her reach a wider jazz audience. In 2015 after years of duo, trio and quartet work she has now jumped into the big band arena. This is exciting news not only because this powerhouse singer has shown to hold her own with heavies the likes of Peter Bernstein, Jeremy Pelt and Christian McBride but also because there is currently no other female vocalist led big band. Solivan's idea was to create a band that incorporated many of the elements in her quartet including high energy, swing and a unique repertoire. In addition, she wanted to work with some of the jazz communities’ best arrangers to work on expanding the her repertoire, which includes a number of her own originals as well as standards, with original arrangements of material that was created for this group. So far, the result has been a highly energized & swinging band that will take you from the traditional feel through to salsa and the modern jazz idiom. All anchored by Solivan's strong surefooted voice and confident leadership.

Marianne is currently performing worldwide leading numerous ensembles and presenting her unique talents with an international audience. In addition to her full performing calendar Solivan teaches in many different situations including private lessons, group coaching’s and Jazz camps, summer workshops and most recently she became the Assistant Professor of Jazz Voice at Syracuse University in their Jazz & Commercial Music Department. 

Marianne website click here

Thank you to Chris DiGirolamo from Two For The Show Media for sharing.

Fabienne Ambuehl Presents: THRIVE

Release date: 17th January 2025

Ubuntu Music

Thrive is the new album from the accomplished and versatile pianist and vocalist Fabienne Ambuehl, forthcoming on the progressive Ubuntu label. Ambuehl is a musician with a diverse range of world- class experience, known for her work with the Noga Ritter Band, Neele & the Soundvoyage and also as a soloist for Jazz Choir Freiburg. The Swiss born Londoner developed her art at Lucerne School of Music, later studying with the likes of Lauren Newton, Asaf Sirkis and Gwilym Simcock.

Order here

Fabienne Ambuehl has assembled a dynamic ensemble of Matt Ridley on bass (The Antidote, The Darius Brubeck Quartet, Leon Foster Thomas, Tal Cohen) and John Scott on drums (Mulatu Astatke, GoGo Penguin, Kairos 4Tet, Sons Of Kemet XL), with special guests Tom Ollendorff and Ant Law both on guitar – all key players in international jazz with their own strong reputations throughout the scene. On first listen to the new album, the collective understanding between each artist is deeply apparent, allowing space for all to shine while gelling seamlessly as a unit. The synergy between each player when performing together is exciting to hear, setting the recording apart as a formidable session worthy of much attention.

The album charts an intriguing course, veering across wide emotional terrain from the sensitive to the ecstatic. As Ambuehl explains: “Thrive is the result of introspection, questions of belonging, moving country just before lockdown was announced and sometimes not knowing what place to call home. Many songs are inspired by nature, which I believe is a healing power.” The title track with words by D.H. Lawrence, describes “a small bird who will drop frozen dead from a bough, without ever having felt sorry for itself.”

‘Binocular’ captures the thrill of looking at something from a distance with a feeling of awe. ‘Nihil’ starts as pensive piano and bass duet, and turns into a bustling yet haunting quartet arrangement, again with the addition of Tom Ollendorff’s beautiful guitar sound. ‘River’ complements Emily Dickinson’s My River Runs To Thee, with a gently rolling motion and ‘New Ones’ featuring Ant Law, imagines possible alien life forms.

Ambuehl’s thoughtfully structured compositions have a striking energy, express painterly details and capture strong emotions. Her music conjures vivid images of places and landscapes. It is this that prompted the renowned German author, photographer and journalist Norbert Krampf to remark that: “Stripped-back minimalism and emotional depth, playfulness and maturity, and a profound jazz sensibility combined with a powerful romantic imagination, forge her unmistakable style.”

Fabienne Ambuehl herself remarks: “One of the great lessons I learned while writing this album, is to multitask less, in general. ‘Thrive’, is an invitation to be more present within the little moments in life, undistracted. Although the music is rooted in jazz, influenced by folk, and plays with the lyrical aspects of Romantic music, I hope that it can speak for itself.

Recorded At: Livingston Studios

Mixed By: Sonny Johns

Mastered By: Dave Darlington

Artwork: Maria Jarzyna

Fabienne Ambhuel: Piano and Voice

Matt Ridley: Double Bass

Jon Scott: Drums

Tom Ollendorff: Guitar

Ant Law: Guitar on ‘New Ones’

Fabienne Ambhuel website click here

Thank you to Rupert Burley from Dynamic Agency for sharing with us!