Olivia Trummer recorded her album "Like Water" without a band, using just a piano and her vocals. It was produced by Russ Titelman, who has worked with stars such as Eric Clapton, Steve Winwood and Randy Newman.
00:00Various genres and influences flow together in Olivia Trummer's combination of piano and vocals.
00:31Olivia Trummer presents her new album at Jazzfest Bonn. It's called Like Water.
00:42I'm really putting in everything that I do and sometimes letting the elements transition in a fluid way.
00:51She blends genres effortlessly.
00:54I just like to shine a new light on songs that everyone knows, but then to play them, to present them in a different way.
01:13Her voice stands out in German jazz and is equally at home in classical and pop.
01:18There's a great space to put in one's personality, which I really enjoy.
01:30It almost doesn't exist, different genres. It's all made of the same material.
01:35It's melodies, it's harmonies, it's rhythm, and I feel that there's so many bridges to jump back and forth and do it seamlessly also, organically.
01:46Originally from Stuttgart, Olivia Trummer now lives in Berlin.
01:51Her parents are classically trained pianists and choir leaders.
01:55Her mother was her first piano teacher.
01:58She learned to play by ear. Music was her world right from the cradle.
02:02It was a very precious time of my life. I think I learned many things and I started to develop this curiosity also to both about being curious about classical music but also what happens if I play this note.
02:19She studied jazz and classical piano at the Stuttgart University of Music and Performing Arts. Early on she received awards. In 2008 she moved to New York for two years where she discovered singing, a turning point.
02:33I guess what helped me was the time that I went to New York to study there. Being completely new, not knowing anyone, nobody knew me. Nobody tried to kept me in a box of something. Instead everyone was really getting all their talents out.
02:51And when I came back from that time I recorded my first album where I was also exposing myself as a vocalist.
02:59My baby just cares for me. My baby don't care for cars and races. My baby don't care for hot done places.
03:20Her new album features just Olivia Truma. Her voice and piano, 12 songs inspired in part by her love for her husband, bassist Makar Novikov. The couple married a year ago. Her style is all her own. Virtuous, soulful, surprising.
03:39My baby just cares for me. In jazz where it's all about expressing yourself and you really cannot hide. Music is basically a platform that shows you who you are. And the fact that Makar and I can work together as well as we can is just underlining that we're good for each other.
04:06The couple usually perform together on stage. Her husband Makar is part of Olivia Truma's trio. Melodic, catchy and delicately spiced with subtle nuances. The formula is making waves, even as far away as New York, where renowned producer Russ Teichelman discovered Olivia Truma via her online videos.
04:29Last year, in 2024, I received a message of someone introducing himself as Russ Teichelman. He's a producer and he has seen videos of me performing on YouTube and he thinks we should talk.
04:45It turns out he is a real storied figure in recording history. He has worked with all the greats, with Randy Newman, with Paul Simon, with George Harrison and Ricky Lee Jones.
05:06So I realized quickly who contacted me and who had found my music and who was enthusiastic about it. And it was a real blessing.
05:18The new solo album, like Water, was recorded in New York and was Olivia Truma's first collaboration with the famous producer.
05:31He was very careful. He was very sensitive to what I offered. Very subtle changes that he brought. And I found very inspiring and helpful to bring the music to the next level.
05:46A successful premiere at the Bond Jazz Festival. Piano and vocals are all Olivia Truma needs to create her inspiring songs.
