London-based Italian singer Germana Stella La Sorsa will be releasing her second album, Primary Colours, with 33Jazz Records on 26 January at the Vortex Jazz Club.
The album Primary Colours includes original music showcasing La Sorsa’s effortless vocals, with Sam Leak on Hammond organ, Jay Davis on drums, Tom Ollendorff on guitar and special guest Australian harpist Tara Minton appearing on selected tracks.
Recorded in May 2023 at London’s Fish Factory Studios, Primary Colours contains seven original compositions reflecting La Sorsa’s musical influences, from Gretchen Parlato and Bobby McFerrin to Jeff Buckley. Drawing upon her eclectic background and skilful voice, as well as the band’s versatility, Primary Colours expresses something fresh, new and unexpected, “nudging boundaries as she goes” (The Slow Music Movement).
This album rides the contemporary avant-garde jazz wave, exploring the boundaries of improvisation and sound, whilst drawing upon modern grooves from drum’n’bass to Latin music. La Sorsa has worked closely with organist Sam Leak and drummer Jay Davis since she arrived in London, and has created the arrangements and the song structures of this new album together with the band. “Try to put me in a box and I’m going to escape. It’s not for me. I belong to the jazz scene but I crave the freedom to create whatever I want,” she says.
With a refreshing honesty, La Sorsa admits that initially, she was hesitant to allow herself to create her own music. However, following her move to London in 2017 from Puglia, Italy, she began to develop the inner strength and self-belief needed to be a composer. As ideas began to flow, the process became more and more a part of daily life, and she released her debut album Vapour in 2021 on 33Jazz Records.
La Sorsa recalls how one of the initial songs for her second album started with an improvisation with her husband, bass player Joe Boyle, in their living room one day, and another snippet of a new song appeared whilst walking to catch a train. “While we were still performing the material from Vapour, I began adding in new songs as soon as they were written, and eventually I developed the concept for Primary Colours, adding one song at a time. I like to tell stories through my music.”
These stories La Sorsa mentions are refreshingly intimate, with each of the seven tracks on Primary Colours connecting, both melodically and emotionally, to what has come before, or will be heard next – an important point to note in a world of ‘shuffle play.’
Starting out with ‘Black,’ La Sorsa explores her own struggle with depression, but finds as the song progresses that the tune becomes cheerful: inner strength and inherent positivity prevail. “Thanks to the work that I’ve done, the story changed. You can reach rock bottom and you can climb to the top again. Things evolve, it’s not black and white. There are many shades.”
With ‘Blue,’ La Sorsa takes us to an entirely different place, where “the sea talks to me. The sea reminds me that whilst I am somewhere else, I can always return. The sea is telling me I can come home and be myself.” Reflecting on her childhood memories of days at the beach in Taranto, Puglia, ‘Blue’ also offers a safe harbour to her young child for the future. Having recorded this second album whilst pregnant, ‘Blue’ is dedicated to La Sorsa’s son.
Whilst feeling a profound connection to the entirety of Primary Colours, La Sorsa also highlights ‘Red,’ written by double bassist (and husband) Joe Boyle. Exploring themes of passionate love and the eternal human battle between instinct and reason, ‘Red’’s lyrics refer to Apuleius’ myth of Cupid and Psyche.
“‘Red’ is the most energetic tune on the album, and is so different from the other tunes which I wrote. This is becoming a ritual for us; Joe has helped with many steps along the way, and also wrote one of the songs I included on Vapour.”
La Sorsa also “likes to imagine that people will discover their own narratives through my music. If you know my stories, you can look through my lens and see what I have to say. I also think that these tunes speak for themselves. You can enjoy the music at any level, and go deeper if you want to.”
With plans already in the pipeline for the next venture, La Sorsa has begun researching new ideas and influences for album three with her favourite musicians.
The release of Primary Colours has been supported by Help Musicians.
The live launch of Primary Colours, featuring Germana Stella La Sorsa on vocals, Sam Leak on Hammond, Jay Davis on drums, Tom Ollendorff on guitar and special guest Tara Minton on harp, takes place on Friday 26 January at the Vortex (booking link below).
