Zuversicht Nils Wülker

• 1 All Hands on Deck 05:24
• 2 As Young as Your Faith 04:08
• 3 This Moment’s Rhythm 04:46
• 4 Alpenglow 04:29
• 5 FOMO Fighter 05:59
• 6 Time Will Tell 03:03
• 7 Second Nature 04:55
• 8 Forces at Work 03:53
• 9 Continuum 05:13
• 10 It’s Okay 01:35
• 11 It's Alright 03:18
• Total Runtime 46:43

Info for Zuversicht

When we experience hope so actively that we trust in the future against all adversities it is called “Zuversicht” in German. The new album of the same name, the fifteenth by Nils Wülker, the „sonically brilliant trumpeter and exceptional composer“ according to Crescendo, and his first with a German title, radiates this vital energy – in many wonderful ways. The eleven original compositions, recorded in a quartet, come full circle and open up new horizons, deliberately pushing the leader out of his comfort zone into a beautiful, new world of sound. For the first time since his debut in 2002 – and numerous chart successes later – ECHO winner Nils Wülker has recorded with an international line-up, an adequately top-class one at that: Aaron Parks on piano, Linda May Han Oh on double bass, and Greg Hutchinson on drums. Wülker’s highly personal sound is haunting and unmistakable, the overall result is still surprising. Together, in only three and a half days of improvisational, collaborative creativity, the quartet created this exceptional album in the Hansa Studios in Berlin, legendary for recordings by David Bowie, U2, and Depeche Mode, that feels contemporary and groundbreaking at the same time — and full of „Zuversicht“ in its strong melodies and fantastic interplay.

“Zuversicht is a great title,” says Aaron Parks. “You know, Nils has explained the meaning of this word to me, which is very specific. And all of the English words don’t do it justice, as it’s sort of like a combination of three concepts into one. I’m sure he’ll go into detail about why that word resonates. But it is interesting how much of the time, putting everything into the English language misses out on the possibility of having certain specificities.” The album title actually came to Nils through the German translation of a poem by the German-born rabbi, civil rights activist, and entrepreneur Samuel Ullman. He wrote the line „You are as young as your hopes, as old as your doubts“ in his poem „Youth“. „In recent months, as the world situation and social developments weighed heavy on my mind, as they probably have on many others, this quote has stuck with me,“ says Nils Wülker. „It has become a guiding principle for me. And I began to also use it as a motto and guideline for this album production.“ The 47-year-old consciously created more space for interaction and spontaneity in the studio during these recordings, especially after his last albums had been highly musically structured – whether through the orchestral arrangements for „Continuum,“ the meticulously created soundscapes of his duo with Arne Jansen for „Closer,“ or the weeks of synth/electro studio work for „GO.“

Having made the decision to record „Zuversicht“ in the classic jazz-quartet lineup of trumpet, piano, double bass, and drums, Nils Wülker, as he himself puts it, followed his gut feeling when it came to the players he wanted to record it with. „I looked for musicians whose work I liked and where I had the feeling they would find a way to relate to my music — while still contributing to it. It was important to me to have strong artistic personalities, and it’s certainly no coincidence that they’re all bandleaders.“ The final line-up says it all: Aaron Parks from Seattle, now based in Lisbon, is considered one of the most influential pianists of his generation, not only as the leader of his ensemble „Little Big“ on three albums for Blue Note, but also as a sideman, already winning a Grammy at the age of 24 for his collaboration with trumpeter Terence Blanchard, but also shining alongside Joshua Redman, for example in „James Farm,“ or with Terri Lyne Carrington, Christian Scott, or Christian McBride. Australian bassist and Grammy winner Linda May Han Oh is a key figure in her chosen home of New York City, performing worldwide not only with her own band, but also with Pat Metheny, Kenny Barron, and currently in a trio with Ambrose Akinmusire and Tyshawn Sorey. Greg Hutchinson, born in 1970, is considered by Jazz Magazine to be „the drummer of his generation,“ a fact the Brooklyn native proves not only on his own albums, but alongside Joe Henderson, Wynton Marsalis, Diana Krall, Maria Schneider, and many, many more. „With Aaron, Linda, and Greg, I put together a wonderful band, but also put everything on the line,“ says Wülker. „After all, we only met properly in the studio for the first time, never having played together before, and had three and a half days to record an entire album.“

Despite, or perhaps because of this fact, Nils Wülker didn’t follow his initial impulse, which was to try to plan as much as possible in advance and thus control the music. He wanted to be confident, in keeping with the album title, that something beautiful would happen on location and that he would intuitively make good decisions in the moment. „For me, that’s also the essence of jazz,“ says Nils Wülker. „Over the past few years, I’ve learned that my music inevitably sounds like me, no matter what the musical environment – this gives me the trust and confidence to really let go on this production. I explained it that way to Aaron, Linda, and Greg, and it worked wonderfully.“ Aaron Parks confirms: “ It’s just a really interesting and cool band that he’s put together for this, which is bringing something out of the music which is available inside the songs themselves, but also wouldn’t be available without this exact same crew. So Nils is trusting us to bring our own personality and to take care of the songs. I have a real feeling of resonance with what he’s (Nils is) after with this music, so I’m happy to get to join him for this. But it does require a lot of attentiveness in terms of presence and how those notes feel and how to make they serve whatever the song wants to be.”

The result speaks for itself: „Zuversicht“ is a highly organic album, vibrant in every note, to which the leader’s compositions, combined with the creative collaboration of the three other band members, lend enormous grandeur and elegance, as well as a consistently overwhelming energy. A clear, consistently astonishing arc emerges from the dynamic tension of the opener „All Hands On Deck“ to moving ballads like „Time Will Tell“ or „Alpenglow“ or the funky „Forces At Work“ to the catchy „Second Nature,“ in which flugelhorn and bass initially play in unison, then support each other going their own ways, before finally coming together again melodically. “The melodies that Nils writes, are just so beautiful and they’re quite easy to memorize or to internalize”, says Linda May Han Oh. “I think to have such a strong melody in music can be a real gift. And it makes the improvisatory part of the process a lot easier, too, when you have a strong melody to grasp onto as an improvising musician.” Aaron Parks adds: „I have a strong feeling that Nils is trying to achieve something with this music. I welcome not being afraid to go right for the heart, having music that is unapologetically heartfelt. And so, you know, I feel a kinship.” Greg Hutchinson has the final word on this. „Nils’ music lends itself to exploration and the unknown. Through that, there’s something very special that happens. So we just go with the flow, and that really allows us to be who we are.”

The album’s lineup will also perform the music of “Zuversicht” live in concert, with Nils Wülker going on tour with Linda May Han Oh, Greg Hutchinson, and initially, due to scheduling constraints, none other than Omer Klein on piano. Excellent opportunities to directly experience Nils Wülker’s spontaneously developed new pieces and their soundscape – modern, while at the same time rich in tradition. „I don’t expect music to bring about a direct, measurable change,“ says Nils Wülker. “But I always have the „Zuversicht“ to put out something positive that will catch on somewhere, that will resonate, manifest, and hopefully make sense and be meaningful.”

Nils Wülker, trumpet
Aaron Parks, piano
Linda May Han Oh, double bass
Greg Hutchinson, drums

Nils Wülker
erhielt ab dem siebten Lebensjahr Klavierunterricht, ab dem zehnten Lebensjahr Trompetenunterricht mit klassischer Ausrichtung. 1994 besuchte Nils Wülker für ein Jahr als ASSIST-Stipendiat eine Privatschule in den USA. Dort entdeckt er den Jazz und wurde vom Acid-Jazz und Miles Davis geprägt. Zurück in Deutschland spielte Wülker bald im Landesjugendjazzorchester NRW, mit dem er 1996 und 1998 an zwei Tourneen nach China teilnahm. 1998 studierte er nach dem Abitur an der Hochschule für Musik "Hanns Eisler" Berlin, die er 2002 erfolgreich absolvierte. 2005 gründete Nils Wülker sein eigenes Plattenlabel (Ear Treat).

Während des Studiums spielte er im Bundesjazzorchester, vertretungsweise in der RIAS Big Band, ab 2001 im Ensemble seines Hochschuldozenten Nicolai Thärichen ("Thärichens Tentett"), aber auch in der Judy Niemack Group und im Berlin Jazz Orchestra von Jiggs Whigham. Bereits vor dem Ende des Studiums ging er mit seiner eigenen Gruppe ins Studio, um Aufnahmen zu produzieren. Die daraus resultierende CD "High Spirits" ging als die erste Veröffentlichung eines deutschen Jazzmusikers bei Sony Music in die Firmengeschichte ein; als zweites Album erschien "Space Night Vol. 10" bei Sony. Wülker nahm die Veröffentlichung weiterer Platten seiner Band auf seinem eigenen Label vor. In seinem Quintett spielt er mit Jan von Klewitz am Saxophon, Lars Duppler am Piano, Dietmar Fuhr am Bass und Jens Dohle am Schlagzeug. 2010 wurde die Band um den Gitarristen Arne Jansen und Edward Maclean am E-Bass erweitert.

Aufmerksamkeit erregte er auch durch seine auf CD veröffentlichten Kompositionen für das Nachtprogramm "Space Night" des Bayrischen Rundfunks. In seinen Kompositionen vereint er die rhythmischen und harmonischen Finessen des Jazz mit dem melodiösen und groovebetonten Spiel von Funk, Rock und Pop.

Neben der Tätigkeit mit der eigenen Band spielte er auch mit Lee Ritenour, Dave Grusin, Don Grusin, Wolfgang Schmid und William Kennedy als "Hang All Stars" und mit Omara Portuondo, Dominic Miller, Joe Locke, Silje Nergaard, Wolfgang Muthspiel, Ute Lemper und Samy Deluxe, für dessen Album "Dis wo ich herkomm" er 2009 auch den Track "Sprech wie ich sprech" produzierte.

This album contains no booklet.