Thrilled to be part of Schloss Elmau’s concert series EUROPEAN VOICES this Thursday, which gives me a chance to play with great Norwegian drummer Per Oddvar Johansen again. I met him many years back when we played a concert at Cully Jazz festival in Switzerland, and off and on, I had the chance to sing with him. He is working mainly in the groups of renowned Norwegian musicians like Christian Wallumrød, Mats Eilertsen and Trygve Seim. His unique sound, his sense of space and time and his knowledge of composition make him such a joy to play with. Besides having two of my favourite musicians, Wolfert Brederode and Matthieu Michel, by my side, the concert will also feature gifted French clarinet player Clément Meunier who has played with us in Lausanne earlier this year. Flugelhorn, clarinet and voice form what I felt was a trio of breath, and I cannot wait to explore this further. Wolfert, who recorded his third ECM record as a leader this summer, is irreplaceable in this group. We will be assisted by French sound engineer Boris Darley who, along with his Dutch pendant Tijmen Zinkhaan, has travelled with us everywhere we went.
Immersed in nature – mountains, woods, meadows – and very close to the middle of nowhere: That is exactly where we want to be on Thursday. It would be lovely to see you there.