Julia Hülsmann Quartet This Is Not America, ECM Records

Julia Hülsmann Quartet Not Far From Here Listen to or buy the album here: Uli Kempendorff: tenor saxophone Julia Hülsmann: piano Marc Muellbauer: double bass Heinrich Köbberling: drums ECM 2664 Not Far From Here introduces awardwinning pianist Julia Hülsmanns new group in which her longtime working trio with Marc Muellbauer and Heinrich Köbberling (together now for 17 years) is expanded to a quartet with the addition of Berlinbased saxophonist Uli Kempendorff. In Kempendorffs playing both suppleness and unruliness are in ample supply, Jazzthetik has noted, and he brings a fresh energy to the Hülsmann group concept. Each member of the quartet brings in original compositions, with Julia herself contributing five pieces for the album. Repertoire is augmented by a timely cover of This Is Not America, David Bowies 1980s hit single (cocomposed by Bowie, Pat Metheny and Lyle Mays), which appears here