Julia Hülsmann Trio live in Karlsruhe 2011

Julia Hülsmann - Piano
Marc Muellbauer - Bass
Heinrich Köbberling - Drums
recorded live at Jazzclub Karlsruhe, March 31, 2011

Grand Canyon (Hülsmann)
Juni (Hülsmann)
A Light Left On (Hülsmann)
Who's Next (Hülsmann)
Kauf Dir einen bunten Luftballon (Hülsmann)
Zahlen bitte! (Köbberling)

On the second ECM disc from the popular Berlin-based Julia Hülsmann Trio, the leader’s themes stand out in stark relief, as if stamped or printed into the surrounding improvisation. “Imprint” offers highly communicative jazz in which melody, clearly-etched melody, is paramount. Hülsmann is a gifted jazz-composer and there are surprises amongst her pieces here, including a powerfully-swinging Thelonious Monk tribute entitled “Who’s Next”. Bassist Muellbauer and drummer Köbberling also contribute intriguing tunes of their own, and this year’s offbeat cover version is a lilting Austrian Schlager tune from the 1940s, “Kauf dir einen bunten Luftballon”. 

Julia Hülsmann Trio live at Grüner Salon, Berlin 2009

Photo © by: Volker Beushausen / ACT

Julia Hülsmann, piano
Marc Muellbauer, bass
Heinrich Köbberling, drums

recorded live at Grüner Salon, Berlin, December 2, 2009

1. The end of a summer (Julia Hülsmann)
2. Konbanwa (Heinrich Köbberling)
3. Kiss from a rose (Seal)
4. Last one out (Marc Muellbauer)
5. Kauf dir einen bunten Luftballon (Aldo von Pinelli/Anton Franz Josef Profes)
6. Zahlen, bitte (jetzt reicht's) (Heinrich Köbberling)
7. Jackson (Marc Muellbauer)
8. Whole lotta love (Jimmy Page/ Robert Plant/ John Paul Jones/ John Bonham/ Willie Dixon)

The End Of A Summer - first ECM release for a trio with a strong following. Julia Hülsmann founded her group in 1997 and it has become, with its strongly melodic and inventive music, one of the most popular groups on the German jazz scene. Hülsmann is a first-rate jazz composer as well as an incisive pianist, a poetic sense of compression distinguishing both her writing and her improvising. Album features six new tunes by Hülsmann plus pieces also by her trio partners – plus a cover of Seal’s “Kiss From A Rose”.