News

Reis Demuth Wiltgen: “power-trio” (citizen jazz)

The year began strongly, with the release of Sly, the new album by Luxembourg trio Reis Demuth Wiltgen, which came out on 26 February on CAM Jazz records (Italy).

“This famous trio of piano, double bass and drums have a magnificent natural elegance. These are three musicians who channel their personal qualities into achieving a beautiful aesthetic ambition. Reis Demuth Wiltgen are part of the new generation of jazz musicians who, although they are European-style romantics, are also plugged into New York musical trends, while still demonstrating great originality. The trio have performed, not only across Europe, but also all over the rest of the world, in particular in the US, Canada, South America, Russia and Southeast Asia. Their first three albums won over a large audience, along with the international press.”

Pascal Schumacher: solo vibraphone and electronics

Pascal Schumacher had not long put out his latest album, SOL, on the Neue Mester label (Germany). Yet this insatiable vibraphonist seized the opportunity presented by the pandemic to get back to work on that album and release a revisited version. That is how Re-SOL came to be released on 27 April this year. For this project, Pascal Schumacher asked four other solo musicians to create their own interpretations of the album’s tracks.

Malakoff Kowalski, Viktor Orri Árnason, Fejká and Midori Hirano all created moving, capitaving reimaginings of Schumacher’s pieces for the project.

Greg Lamy: the art of surrounding yourself with the right people!

On 30 April 2021, Greg Lamy’s latest album came out on Igloo Records (Belgium). The title, Observe the Silence, refers to the open spaces left in music, which you sometimes need in order to catch your breath. The album explores a harmonic palette that releases a zephyr of improvisation, taking musicians and listeners to a contemplative place.

This is the Luxembourg guitarist’s third album on Igloo Records. Built on the solid foundations of a close bond and mutual respect with Gautier Laurent and Jean-Marc Robin, established over 15 years, Greg makes the most of the freedom offered by this trio to work regularly with various guest artists: Lionel Loueke, Marco Massa, Gretchen Parlato and even Flavio Boltro.

This album represents a real step forward for the group, which now frequently has prolific pianist Bojan Z featuring as a guest, enabling Greg Lamy to freshen up his methods of improvising and of composing. Italian trumpeter Flavio Boltro is also involved in the live project, which brings a new melodic texture to the group.

Michel Meis 4tet feat. Théo Ceccaldi: the big Boom!

Kaboom, Michel Meis 4tet’s second album, which came out on 28 May 2021 on Double Moon Recrods (Germany), is a veritable audio explosion! As well as his usual sidekicks, Michel Meis has teamed up with violinist Theo Ceccaldi for an album that you have to take your time getting to know. It seems like a lightning-fast yet unpredictable journey through genres, tonalities and atmospheres, giving jazz a brand-new twist by bringing in elements from, among other places, (post-)rock and classical music. From State of Uncertainty, written during the first lockdown, to album-closer Re:build, Kaboom reproduces the uncertainties of the world we live in, but also the possibility that better tomorrows can be built.