Johanna Summer – Dialoge (Album of the Month 07-08/26)

Johanna Summer has succeeded in creating the “expected unexpected.” For this project, she opened herself up to the unforeseen by never coordinating with the invited guest pianists—Claire Huangci, Danae Dörken, Kit Armstrong, and Igor Levit—who each brought pieces that served as springboards for a wide variety of sonic dialogues. As one would expect from her, Summer proves to be more than eloquent in this context, underscoring her current rise to prominence in the jazz scene.

Just as on her previous ACT albums, works of classical music serve as the starting point for the album. Schubert, Machaut, and Theodorakis make their presence felt, and Summer showcases her virtuosity on “Blutmond”—an ingenious reinterpretation of Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata. Who would have thought that this piece, which has been played to death, could be interpreted in such an original way?

At the end of “Departure,” Summer bids farewell to the dialogues and ascends alone into the crystal-clear, beautiful upper register of the piano. With this album, she leaves behind a musical message that could perhaps best be expressed by a modified quote from Hannah Arendt: Beauty exists only between two people.

Lennart Winterkemper