 Listen to samples at Musicline. Click here ...Reviews
Alan Olmstead, Kaleidophonic Jazz, WXJZ-FM Gainesville Florida:
"Clean and simple contemporary jazz with a European flair featuring the delightfully innocent vocal style of Leyla Tugal reminiscent of Astrud Gilberto in the 60's."
Ron J. Pelletier, Gallery 41, San Francisco, CA: Evening Jazz / KCSM-FM91:
The CD “… grabs your attention within the first couple of measures into the introduction…and then keeps your attention. Excellent recording, everyone’s playing sounds great and Leyla has a beautiful voice as well.”
Peter Burford – Jazz Vibes Coast FM 96,3, Gosford/Sydney, Australia:
Wow !!!!!!!!! This sounds fantastic. truly a great sound, vocals and music combination 10 out of 10. It will definitely feature on next Jazz Vibes.
Valerie Brown, Coral Coast Radio, Bundaberg, Queensland Australia:
Comments from listeners received were: “lovely guitar work”; "beautiful gentle voice"; "the music is so mellow and relaxing, almost spiritual". We will give it maximum airplay. - Beautiful music."
Story
With their previous CD “Can you see…?” Spirit’n’Jazz achieved critical acclaim and high radio rotations as well as five number 1s (4 x World´s Cool Jazz in Florida, 1 x QFM Tenerife) backed up by more Top 10 positions. Therefore, there was a lot of pressure for the next production. Because All About Jazz in Italy had titled their review “Jazz goes Pop goes Jazz” it was logical to give the new CD a very high standard of studio production whilst, at the same time, retaining the improvisational style of the music. The two prereleases from the new CD “Where are you?”: title track “Where are you?” and “Treasure” spontaneously went into the Top 10 of QFM Tenerife (No. 2 + 1) and to date the tracks “Two” and “Life Dance” are
on No. 2 and No. 7 at QFM.
Before the singer Leyla Tugal walks into the studio to record vocals on a new track from Spirit’n’Jazz, the piece has neither melody nor a finished lyric. It is just an improvised instrumental usually inspired by a theme which has come to the musicians following discussions on topics which concern them. Leyla then listens to the music, gets into the feel of it whilst also thinking about the content of the theme. Then she starts singing and she improvises in her own sensitive way to create melody and lyrics. This is the creative process which creates the musical pieces from Spirit’n’Jazz. Each musician contributes what he or she is feeling. The results sound both organic and natural. Flowing tracks ranging between New Jazz and Pop with influences from Lounge, Latin and Blues conveying social, spiritual and ethical themes into rhythmic
and melodic emotions.
The musicians from the UK, Germany and Turkey know each other very well both musically and socially. They have been working together for ten to fifteen years. Derek Crehan (Nottingham/UK) plays a virtuoso
guitar laced with Blues and is never afraid of making a comment. Gunter Hauser (Kraichtal/Germany) on piano freely improvises without resorting to clichés and in a sensitive dialogue with the guitar. Paul Douglas (Birmingham/UK) plays a very smooth trombone, which gives a restful counterpoint to the sometimes wild statements of his fellow musicians. Finally Richard Evans (Guildford/UK) on drums plays in a style somewhere between sound painting and fusion. Together with Leyla Tugal (Baden-Baden, Germany) on vocals they are creating a very special atmosphere.
The name Spirit’n’Jazz is as much a concept, as it is a name. In the booklet for the new CD “Where are you?” there are quotes from different world religions and philosophies to accompany each track. In this way commonalities between different cultures are emphasized and brought to the fore; and this happens in a typical jazzy, relaxed way. This cross cultural contribution has already caused much discussion. A Muslim Imam reading from the Koran during Spirit’n’Jazz concerts at the time of terror attacks has been a point for irritation for some and led to concerts being cancelled. Nevertheless the CD has been played by
radio stations in New York and all over the USA. At World´s Cool Jazz in Florida tracks from the CD “Can you see…?” are still in the Top 10 of their charts for 17 months now (June 08 - Nov. 09). To date “Information Politics” is on No.1.
Now, two years after Sprit’n’Jazz first strove to achieve inter-cultural dialogue, the building of bridges between different cultures has become the norm in international politics. Therefore, there should be no political reason to prevent the success of Spirit’n’Jazz. Nevertheless, these tracks are not pointless. With “Treasure” the band has foreseen the financial crisis six months before the crash of the stock market and have clearly criticised capitalistic behaviour. This track went straight to No.1 at QFM Tenerife and there
was a radio interview on Deutschlandradio Kultur in November 08.
If you are thinking that this CD might be an elitist programme for intellectuals only, you are wrong. In terms of coolness this music has got down to earth qualities. These musicians are improvising in a free and relaxed way as if music was the most important thing in the world - which it really is.
“Music gives a soul to the universe… - Plato” to quote from the booklet of Where Are You? by Spirit’n’Jazz.
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