Gellért Szabó’s Ideal Orchestra – On Will and Death (Album of the Month 06/26)

Anyone who titles the first two tracks of an album “Birth” and “Death” leaves no doubt that they clearly do not shy away from exploring existential questions. This is certainly true of Gellért Szabó, who was recently nominated for the German Jazz Prize alongside his Ideal Orchestra and has now released a new album, *Vom Willen und Tod*.

The Leipzig-based guitarist and composer has long been known for his profound explorations of the boundaries between jazz, classical music, and contemporary music. This is also the case here, as he comes to terms with the death of his father. The six songs are correspondingly monumental, comprising four original compositions as well as two reinterpretations of works by Johannes Brahms.

Amid orchestral and choral sounds, a sonic thicket emerges that, given its late-Romantic opulence, sometimes seems anachronistic. The 19-piece ensemble, however, feels thoroughly contemporary, featuring musicians such as Alma Trunk, Nora Benamara, and Johannes von Buttlar—a veritable who’s who of the Leipzig jazz scene.

Luca Glenzer