Ronny Graupe is a German guitarist, originally from Chemnitz (aka Karl-Marx-Stadt) in the former GDR, who studied in Leipzig from where he paid a short visit to Birmingham in the early 2000s with a young group as part of a Twin City exchange. He has been for some years an extremely active member of the jazz community in Berlin where he launched during the Covid pandemic the Into The Shed online series. This was an extremely valuable contribution to keeping music live during the pandemic, and a series that introduced one to many players on the Berlin scene.
One of the memorable gigs in that series was a duo with Graupe and vocalist Lucia Cadotsch whose work with the Speak Low trio is well known. The Szelest trio builds on that encounter and adds Kit Downes on piano and keys. The group may be led by Graupe, but the music is very interactive and has the feel of a jam between equals.
There are 9 tracks on the album, 5 of which are originals composed by Graupe to which Cadotsch added lyrics; the remaining 4 are well known standards, from the 1920s, 30s and 40s: Some Other Time, Once Upon a Summertime, Stardust and I Surrender, Dear. Cadotsch brings the same sensibility to these standards as we have heard on her Speak Low albums, a transformation of the songs into beautifully poignant and individual versions sung in her unique voice. In this she is supported by the intricate patterns created by the interaction between Graupe’s guitar and Downes’ piano.
The originals are more abstract than the standards, and there is much more movement in and out of the vocals and the instrumental passages. Cadotsch’s lyrics consist of short punchy phrases and her voice is manipulated on these tracks, with marked reverb on Newfoundland Tristesse and At a Second Glance. On Szelest her voice is double tracked. The combination of Cadotsch’s short phrases and the elaborate interaction of Graupe’s guitar and Downes’ piano on Vorbei makes this an outstanding track.
This album is an excellent example of the range and quality of the music being produced by those musicians who have moved to Berlin in recent years.
