Confidence is when we experience hope so actively that we trust in the future despite all adversity. The album of the same name, set for release in 2025—the fifteenth by “the brilliant trumpeter and exceptional composer” Nils Wülker and his first with a German title—radiates this vitality in many wonderful ways.
The eleven original compositions, recorded as a quartet, bring things full circle while opening up new horizons; they deliberately push the leader out of his comfort zone into a beautiful, new world of sound. For the first time since his 2002 debut—and after numerous chart successes—the ECHO Award winner has recorded with an international all-star lineup: Aaron Parks on piano, Linda May Han Oh on double bass, and Greg Hutchinson on drums. Wülker’s signature sound is haunting and unmistakable, yet the result is surprising. Together, the four musicians spent just three and a half days—filled with improvisational, collaborative creativity—recording an album at the legendary Hansa Studios in Berlin, made famous in particular by David Bowie, U2, and Depeche Mode—recorded an album that is both contemporary and groundbreaking—and, with its strong melodies and fabulous interplay, brimming with optimism.
After deciding to record *Zuversicht* with a classic jazz lineup of trumpet, piano, double bass, and drums, Nils Wülker, as he himself says, followed his gut feeling when it came to the people behind the project —musicians whose work he admires and with whom he felt they would connect with his music while still bringing their own unique contributions. The 47-year-old deliberately sought to create more space for interaction and spontaneity in the studio during the recordings, especially since his previous albums had been musically highly structured—whether through the orchestral arrangements for “Continuum,” the meticulous tinkering with the soundscape in his duo with Arne Jansen for “Closer,” or the weeks of synth/electro studio work for “GO”. “With Aaron, Linda, and Greg, I’ve put together a wonderful band, but I’ve also put all my eggs in one basket,” says Wülker. “After all, we met in person for the first time in the studio, had never played together before, and then had three and a half days to record an entire album.”
The result speaks for itself: “Zuversicht” is a very organic album, alive in every note, to which the leader’s compositions—combined with the creative collaboration of the three other band members —two-thirds of whom are Grammy winners and can be heard on countless genre-defining albums by artists ranging from Wynton Marsalis to Pat Metheny to Joshua Redman—endow the album with immense grandeur and elegance, as well as an energy that never fails to overwhelm. From the dynamic tension of the opener “All Hands On Deck” to ballads like “Time Will Tell” or “Alpenglow,” or the funky “Forces At Work” to the catchy “Second Nature”—in which the trumpet and bass initially play in unison, then support each other on their own paths before coming together melodically again at the end—a clear, consistently astonishing arc unfolds here.
The album’s lineup will also be performing live, as Nils Wülker goes on tour with Linda May Han Oh, Greg Hutchinson, and—initially, due to scheduling conflicts—none other than Omer Klein on piano. These are excellent opportunities to experience firsthand Nils Wülker’s spontaneously developed new pieces and the traditional yet modern soundscape of this music. “I don’t expect music to bring about a direct, measurable change,” says Nils Wülker. “But I always have faith that it will convey something positive—something that takes hold somewhere, resonates, manifests itself—and that, hopefully, it will be meaningful and give meaning.”
