‘Embrace the Now’ is a new show by multi-faceted German musician Ada Morghe who will be at Pizza Express in Holborn on 11th March 2024. Joined by her all-star, favourite band-mates who play on her last three albums, Livingstone Brown (Bass), Luca Boscagin (Guitar), Luke Smith (Keys) and Josh McKenzie aka MckNasty (Drums), this promises to be an evening of new and innovative music.
Ada Morghe’s mastery as a pianist and vocalist but also as a storyteller, songwriter and just all-round creative mastermind makes this new project very intriguing. ‘Embrace the Now’ endeavours to be a combination of songs from her most recent album release, Lost as well as new songs written by her and her collaborators.
“Lost was inspired by the elements of nature: earth, water, air, fire, and space. [Then], the knowledge of these five elements allows people to understand the laws of nature. This arises out of deep intuition of how the universe operates. Lost takes the listener on a journey reflecting the circle of life, and to “get lost” in music.” Morghe shares.
Her music is an eclectic mix of poetry, beats and imagery that feels very grounding but is also full of forward motion. Of course, her influences seem to reflect the components of her own music, growing up listening to everything from Sade to Gregorian Chant, there are so many corners to explore and draw from – everything from the rich sound and energy of a choir to drum and bass to soul music and back to imprints of classical music.
While, growing up learning classical piano and finding improvisation later on might be a fairly typical pathway for a lot of musicians, it can lead each individual in a very different way. Morghe seems to be blazing her own unique trail, following her instincts and desires to share what is essentially an extension of the soul. This is reflected a lot, not only in the music as a whole, but also in the timbre of Morghe’s own voice – rich, complex and deep, it’s distinctive in sound and adds such dynamism to her compositions.
It’s clear that Morghe’s talent and relationship with her band and her creative process result in this gift for the listener – the chance to listen again and again and experience a different feeling each time – catching a new sound, a new lyric or a new concept that sends you down a new musical path.
At Holborn Pizza Express, guests can expect to hear songs from this album, but also a collection of new material that Morghe has composed both solo and with her musicians. The storytelling element that is already intrinsically weaved throughout her music will be a main focal point of the evening. A chance to share the musical experience with these musicians first hand.
Morghe stated that this will be the first time for two years that she and her band will be on stage together. “To me the magic of music happens in the live moment, feeling the energy flow between the audience, the singer and her band. When my band and I come together the energy is electrifying and the magic between us is best shown live.”
Knowing the conceptual nature of her albums, it will most definitely be a treat for the audience to be present for this project. In the context of hearing a recording, you see the final output but when taking these creative leaps in a live setting – audience members will get to be a part of the process.
“I love the process, the search, the adventure. [The lyric] “I´m hungry still to see what´s down another road” [is] one of my favourite lines of the beautiful song “Here’s to Life”. Being curious and constantly learning and pushing myself to step out of my comfort zone, feeds my artist soul. The different music styles and genres are a reflection of my explorer nature. Still I put my soul into every song and every piece I write.”
Morghe’s broad-range knowledge of style and risk-taking mentality along with the input of her stellar band members, promise to ignite the creative soul of everyone interested in coming along for the journey. Morghe is most looking forward to this gig as “the first time is always very exciting.” The first encounter in a long time with new music, new takes, new ideas all enjoyed at this moment in time – a chance to ‘embrace the now’.
