Jakob Manz and Johanna Summer are among the great discoveries in young German jazz. With his Jakob Manz Project, the celebrated saxophonist shows himself to be a representative of contemporary jazz-rock. He proves that he also masters the quiet tones in a duo with pianist Johanna Summer.
Johanna Summer is fearless, tenacious and imaginative - perfect conditions to really stir up the subject of jazz piano in the present. With flying colours, she succeeds in wrapping old material in new garments - from Schumann to Scriabin to Ligeti: she approached all of them from the perspective of improvisation. But everything could have turned out differently: The Vogtland-born singer almost swapped concert grand pianos for football. Both have known and appreciated each other since their time together in the talent factory of the National Youth Jazz Orchestra. Since then, their paths have crossed again and again - until they finally met as a duo at a few, exclusive dates.And here it quickly became apparent: In this constellation, a special magic and freedom arises in the interplay, which can probably only be created in this way in pairs. On the basis of classical pieces, their own compositions or jazz standards, they create their own musical universe, sometimes tender and fragile, sometimes rhythmically gripping, sometimes rousing melodic. An intimate, open, dazzling dialogue.

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