Jazz song for today. 2/17/2024

For todays song I chose the one I think is the best out of the album I'll be talking about today.

Todays song is Ada's Song by Mulo Francel

Born September 21, 1967 in Munich. Mulo is a German Saxophonist and film composer who works in jazz, classical and world music

Ada's Song, co-written and composed by Mulo Francel Is a tribute piece written in celebration of 75 years of peace between the countries of the participating musicians following the end of the Second World War in 1945.

The inspiration for the project came from a tour of the Czech Republic and Poland made by Francel's band Quadro Nuevo. The saxophonist’s experiences on the tour raised in him the question; “How do I deal with the suffering caused by our grandfathers’ generation, do I address it, do I apologize? The end of the Second World War was 75 years ago. Gone are the occupation, the internment, the mass rapes and killings, the expulsions from the homeland. Finished. At least in central Europe and the bordering countries of Eastern Europe.” Francel arguably overlooks the Communist era that followed a little too easily, but we’ll let that pass.

With the history and the legacy of the Second World War in mind Francel began to seek out European musicians from the former Nazi occupied areas. “I was looking for musicians who understand my concern”, he explains, “who because of their biography have a sense for overcoming borders and building reconciling bridges between borders. People whose family DNA historically carries Slavic, Germanic, German-Bohemian, Czech-Bohemian, Sudeten German, Silesian,  Caucasian and Hungarian-Austrian roots, and both Jewish and Christian influences.

Among the pool of musicians chosen by Francel are the Polish vibraphonist Izabella Effenberg, who now lives in Nuremberg, and the Viennese guitarist Diknu Schneeberger, who has Jewish and Romany (Sinti) roots. These players seem to have been singled out as the embodiment of Francel’s message; “Our music is a message”, states the saxophonist, “let us pass on our knowledge about the inestimable value of peace like a shining torch, by celebrating our encounters with respect and appreciation.”

Mulo Francel at the Festival Horizonte (2014)

Co-written by Francel and Lowka “Ada” is dedicated to the memory of Francel’s grandmother, who lived through both world wars but still retained her great love of life. This features a different line up with Lowka switching to bass and with Schiepek joined by his fellow guitarist Schneeberger. The line up also includes Effenberg on vibraphone, Lhotzky on piano and Noelle at the drums. Introduced by Lhotzky at the piano there’s a delightfully playful and ‘old school’ feel about the piece with solos coming from Effenberg on vibes, one of the guitarists on ‘gypsy jazz’ style acoustic (the other player is on rhythm), Lhotzky at the piano and finally the leader on tenor.

With a total running time of over seventy five minutes this album represents a substantial piece of work as Francel and his colleagues embrace a variety of musical styles, bringing a tangible jazz sensibility to the music of Central and Eastern Europe.

YouTube Link to Todays Song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5QNAR8WxO0