| 1 CD |
€ 14.95
|
Preorder |
| Label Double Moon Records |
UPC 0608917149623 |
Catalogue number DMCHR 71496 |
Release date 29 January 2027 |
With Drowning, saxophonist and composer Paula Steimer presents the second album of her quintet, offering a deeply personal musical exploration of the emotions, contradictions, and uncertainties of everyday life. Moving between lightness and melancholy, joy and introspection, the album reflects the many different states of mind we encounter as we navigate relationships, expectations, memories, and the world around us.
Each composition captures a particular feeling or moment. Go Missing reflects on friendships that have faded over time, while Friday Night celebrates the simple happiness of being in the moment. What If explores the endless questions surrounding decisions and paths not taken. The title track, Drowning, confronts the overwhelming pressure of responsibilities and self-imposed expectations, when everything suddenly feels like too much.
On Dear Diary, Steimer turns towards personal reflection, questioning trust, disappointment, and the importance of setting boundaries. Dumb Ways to Die broadens the perspective to the state of our world, addressing humanity's destructive tendencies and the shared responsibility we carry. Finally, Gandalf introduces a welcome moment of humor and spontaneity, inspired by an unexpected encounter on a train that reminds us of the importance of finding joy in life's absurdities.
Steimer's expressive saxophone playing is complemented by Frederik Hesse on trumpet and flugelhorn, Philip Weyand on piano, Béla Bluche on double bass, and Jakob Görris on drums. Guest vocalists Anna-Karina Barthel and Lilith Walkenhorst join the ensemble on Dear Diary.
Founded in 2023, the quintet released its debut album Thinkin’ in 2024 and has since established itself as a promising young voice on the German jazz scene. Recorded at Hansahaus Studios in Bonn in July 2026, Drowning marks the next chapter in the ensemble's artistic development.
At once thoughtful, emotional, and refreshingly playful, Drowning invites listeners into Paula Steimer's world, where moments of vulnerability coexist with curiosity, humor, and the determination to keep moving forward.
Paula Steimer, born in Saarbrücken in 2001, was influenced and trained by musicians such as Johannes Müller, Christoph Mudrich, and Martin Preiser during her youth.
In 2021, she began her studies at the Hochschule für Musik und Tanz Köln, where she received lessons from Claudius Valk and Robert Landfermann.
Her career is characterized by a variety of different projects and productions. She is a member of bands such as the Frederik Hesse Quintett, Lilith Walkenhorst Quintett, and the JugendJazzOrchester NRW, with which she has already toured through Denmark, Norway, Austria, and Italy. Additionally, she is part of the Shared Planet 9 Project, which was nominated for the German Jazz Award in 2025.
In 2023, she founded the Paula Steimer Quintett, with which the young saxophonist has already performed in numerous renowned jazz clubs, such as the Jazzclub Minden, King Georg (Cologne), Domicil (Dortmund), Loft (Cologne), Blue Note (Dresden), Bunker Ulmenwall (Bielefeld), and many more.
In 2024, her debut album Thinkin’ was released, and since January 2025, she has been touring Germany to promote it.
With the Paula Steimer Quintett, the Saarlander was awarded the Carl Richard-Dörken Performance Scholarship in September 2024. In November, she won the Open Sky competition in Wuppertal with her band, and in December 2025, the quintet became part of the Young Jazz Ahead program at the Jazzclub Minden.
In the studio, she has contributed to productions with the Carla Köllner Big Band, the Frederik Hesse Quintett, the JugendJazzOrchester NRW, and the Shared Planet 9 Project, among others.
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