Alexandra Lehmler Quartett Sans mots

Unmistakably straight from the heart: That's the  music of the quartet Sans mots.

The quartet is, so to speak, the "regular line-up" of saxophonist Alexandra Lehmler. The format with which she has been working the longest and which nevertheless constantly changes and develops further. 

Alexandra Lehmler is one of the hottest musicians in the country and has already been celebrated in many places. The recipe for success of her music is that it is always honest and comes from the heart.

The music is a mixture of catchy melodies and familiar rhythms, lots of energy and extatic solos.

The latest release in the quartet is a live LP recorded in the legendary Bauer Studios in Ludwigsburg. Live and on tape machine, without any cuts or post-production editing. The result is a 180g work of art, for which it is worth getting the record player out of the basement again.

Lehmler is currently playing with a European quartet: with the Italian guitarist Federico Casagrande, the French drummer Patrice Héral and the double bass player Matthias Debus.

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Alexandra Lehmler, born in 1979 in Bad Ems/Lahn, trained in Mannheim, Stuttgart and Paris, 'Jazz Award Baden-Württemberg 2014' winner, with a grant from the Arts Foundation Baden-Württemberg, is really a model musician in Germany. A brilliant go-getter with the tendency to look for the extraordinary, aiming for a rather personal balance between passion and expressiveness, as well as a sensuousness of grooves and melody. She's known to have searched beyond the German border, among the French jazz scene with its stronger influences by regional traditional music as well as migrants from former colonies and globalisation in general. This is where the Lehmler finds those musicians who share her boldly permeable way of access to music. Her signature sound with trailing tones from her soprano sax, flexible drives from her alto sax or the soft roar of her baritone sax benefits from her boldness. She naturally and confidently embeds elements from world music, firmly incorporates minimalist and electro soundscapes, dark and rock-style, dirty and rough. It is neither a question of musical styles, nor any specific style for that matter. It's simply her very own style!

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With her quartet she closes in on her ideal of permeability between various styles, also owing to the other musicians. On drums, Patrice Héral breaks up the boundaries between groove and swing. At times, Patrice's back beat has a rock feel to it, dropping into an elegant swing beat next, never tripping up over an odd beat rhythm. As vocal artist he throws in earthy sound morsels on digital delay here and there. At the same time, Federico Casagrande’s guitar sound smoothes out the harmony and opens up innumerable possibilities for Lehmler's potential melody.

Jazz is people's music. The quartet 'sans mots' definitely reflects Alexandra Lehmler's musical personality: fiery, energetic, adaptable, committed to sensuousness of groove and melody, as well as timeless in a very contemporary way.

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From the press:

Alexandra Lehmler has learned the great saxophone masters of the past, made her own thing out of it, and musically stands with both feet in the present without treading water. Jörg Heyd, WDR

 

Saxophonist Alexandra Lehmler is a showcase musician of the German jazz scene.

 

The band leader is a woman on stage who knows exactly what she wants to play and express and who doesn't need to put herself in the center of attention.

 

In a sea of tears, the farewell is celebrated, and here, too, the voice of the saxophone says everything there is to say....

Nürnberger Nachrichten 29.1.2018

 

A full house and a triumphant success for Mannheim saxophonist Alexandra Lehmler. Even after the end of her performance, one whistles or hums the other among the visitors streaming outsideFragments of the last heard melody.

 

But above all, Alexandra Lehmler has charisma. One look is enough to be convinced of her honesty and seriousness.

Mannheimer Morgen, 11.2014

 

 

Alexandra Lehmler has always understood how to blend structure and risk-taking into a homogeneous coexistence in her music.

 

A sense of tradition, a pronounced spirit of exploration and a stupendous creative competence of all participants makes "sans mots" a listening experience. It only remains to wish and hope that this band will be granted to continue this just started journey into the future. Because one can expect great things.

Jazzpodium 3.2017

 

Joie de vivre in every note

 

Triumphant performance

Mannheimer Morgen, 2018