DUO JULIA HÜLSMANN UND CHRISTOPHER DELL
Melodic Dialogues: Julia Hülsmann and Christopher Dell
Julia Hülsmann is one of the first German women to be signed by Manfred Eicher for his label ECM. For years, she has been providing groundbreaking impulses to jazz in Europe and has developed a unique sensitive piano language, which is expressed across various formations, from duos to octets.
Called the “lyricist of jazz” by Die Zeit, the pianist is well-known for her diverse projects with vocalists, but it is especially her piano trio, which has remained intact for 18 years, along with other instrumental projects, that has shaped contemporary jazz in the country.
In the context of the Bonn Jazz Festival 2018, she created a new duo with vibraphonist Christopher Dell. According to Reclam Jazzlexikon, Dell is considered the leading vibraphonist of his generation. He is one of those musicians who navigate seamlessly between free improvisation, contemporary music, and jazz. At the same time, he has developed a distinctive style, and his playing impresses with maturity and personality.
This project opens up an entirely new space of timbres and complexity, rarely found in a duo setting. The percussive and ethereal sound of the vibraphone merges in an unparalleled way with the piano sound, complementing it beautifully. A concert in this format promises an exciting dialogue between two distinct yet harmonizing musical personalities and improvisation artists, a question-and-answer game of the highest level.
