Progress and consistency are often at odds with one another. But bringing these two seemingly opposing principles together can lead to greatness. Germany’s smallest big band Was Nun achieved just that with their second album, titled “Voyage”. Positive feedback for last year’s debut still echoes, but the sextet is already focused on their next venture.
Original as the band name Was Nun (what’s next) may be, it doesn’t fully suit the band; with “Voyage”, they know exactly what they are doing. They cultivate the first album’s distinguished sound, staying rooted in jazz tradition but confidently striding into the future. The arrangements for the three horns and rhythm section are so sophisticated and precise that it is often difficult to believe that only six musicians are playing.
Was Nun’s new style also comes from a newfound focus on the rhythm section. While bass, drums and piano, though still prominent, stayed mostly in the background for “Labyrinth”, they found their own voice on “Voyage”. Through this, the band’s sound gains in contour and depth. Big parts become even bigger, small parts much smaller, with all six musicians working together to produce these contrasts.
In the 1800s the Grimm Brothers were already talking about “How Six Made Their Way in the World”. And so the journey continues. A band reimagines itself while staying true to itself. Was Nun takes the listener on an entertaining and eventful trip from the known into the unknown, sometimes inviting us to reflect, sometimes to linger, but always to keep moving forward. Apropos signature sound: one of the band’s biggest strengths is its brilliance. Can the fifteen or more voices that we seem to hear really come from six musicians? The six voices combine into a calculated “meta voice” and create the illusion of many more for the listener.
Tour
27.10.2022 Celle // Kunst&Bühne
28.10.2022 Hamburg // Birdland
29.10.2022 Bremen // Chameleon Jazz Bar
30.10.2022 Hannover // Rampe
02.11.2022 Köln // Heimathirsch
03.11.2022 Berlin // Bflat
04.11.2022 Dresen // Blue Note
05.11.2022 Leipzig // Moritzbastei
15.12.2022 Würzburg // Keller Z87
16.12.2022 Heidelberg // Wohnzimmerkonzert