About

Martin Ehlers has been exploring the melodic soul of jazz since the beginning of his musical development. Everything in his artistic work revolves around emotion. "I can't do anything about it," he says himself, "when my thoughts get lost in emotions and feeling, whether positive or negative, then that gets put into notes. You can also tell the stories with the keys", Ehlers allows a glimpse into the genesis of his compositions. It's all about the melody.

The Hamburg-born pianist and composer has meanwhile released five albums under his name. After his debut CD Strange blue light bay and the second album Swedish Moment, he landed a real box-office hit with Feel the Light, rare enough in the industry these days.

On the album fatum, the Martin Ehlers Trio, with Thomas Biller on double bass and Derek Scherzer on drums, pays homage to the principle of reduction. The fascination of restraint. This reduction of form, this "dematerialisation" gives rise to transparency and sensuality in equal measure in Martin Ehler's sound continuum. Sophisticated sound worlds with an irresistible pull emerge. Ehler's sense for the dramaturgy of emotion manifests itself only sometimes in powerful playing, but more often in gentle determination and forcefulness.

fatum - interpreted as the human field of tension between past and future. This depth is immediately perceptible in Martin Ehler's music. Fatum, in times of darkness and light - only those who know darkness can sing about light. The experience of suffering and pain does not negate beauty here. "Precisely because one sees pain and suffering, the urge for beauty is rather greater," says Ehlers, "already lightness and melody are at the top of the list."

Martin Ehlers' dialogue with his piano reflects these backgrounds. Without hectic and stress. With calm. The tones explored in the dialogue are allowed to fade away almost to soundlessness with him. But at the same time, the necessary friction is created through the interaction with his trio.

In 2014, the album "Asking For The Moon" was released, which can be considered the highlight of the seven-year collaboration of the Martin Ehlers Trio. Derek Scherzer and Thomas Biller paint tonal paintings with Martin Ehlers with somnambulistic certainty for every scene.

Since the last record, Ehlers had gathered many impressions and due to the departure of drummer Derek Scherzer, the gap had to be filled. Kai Bussenius was found, who set strong impulses with his playing and brought new impluses into the trio. In 2021 the time had come. The trio went into the studio and recorded new pieces. The release is planned for 2022.
Stay tuned!