WHO Trio - Live at Jazz Festival Willisau 2023, First Visit

2024

Michel Wintsch - piano
Bänz Oester - double bass
Gerry Hemingway - drums & voice

“We are in the business of transformation, applying our knowledge of improvising together for twenty-five years, interwoven with our resonance with these melodies and forms. We have found our collective way with honouring what these pieces express to us, through our personal language, comments Gerry Hemingway.” He agrees that there's a concept of authenticity”. “The feeling of swing is our own, but shaped by the pieces we are playing”. Authenticity is acquired through assimilating traditions, and one of the traditions is finding one’s personal way of sounding, of swinging, of conversing with each other.” The result is one of the finest, and most unusual, of Ellington tributes. (Andy Hamilton)

Reimagination 1 - 8 & Interlude composed by Michel Wintsch (SUISA), Bänz Oester (SUISA), Gerry Hemingway (GEMA/BMI).
All other compositions as indicated by Duke Ellington.
WHO Trio’s notes about Reimagination: Tracks 1, 2, 3, 4 & 9: Reimagination leads into Ellington's song. Tracks 6 & 7: Reimagination emerges from Ellington’s song.

Performed live at Jazz Festival Willisau, September 2, 2023; Festival Producer, Arno Troxler; Recorded by Radio SRF, Lars Dölle, recording engineer; Roman Hošek, SRF producer; Mix & CD master by Michael Brändli, Hardstudios AG; Cover and postcard photo by Palma Fiacco; Liner notes by Andy Hamilton; graphic concept by fuhrer vienna; Associate producer: Christian C. Dalucas;
Executive Producer: Werner X. Uehlinger