I am so thrilled to present this moving and sophisticated sound to you. A genuinely, intimate sound of just guitar, bass and voice! In the style of Sarah Vaughan’s ‘After Hours’ and Julie London’s  ‘Cry Me A River’ this wonderful recording relies on only two instruments; the fine strings of the guitar and the fat sound of the double bass. This immediately transforms the voice into that  3rd defining instrument that it really is!


This is my 4th album and here, I get a chance to explore my vocal range and vocal ability in the unique setting of a ‘live’ recording at Basel’s premiere jazz club – The Bird’s Eye Jazz Club. You will hear me singing in more varied and challenging keys than on previous recordings. I am scatting alongside Beat Baumli’s guitar in the tune ‘Jump in’. One of two tunes on the album that are a collaboration of Beat and myself.  I hope you enjoy our 'Everything Must Change' from Bernard Ighner and Bob Marley's 'Turn Your Lights Down Low'. Our pop tunes in a jazzy style!  We explore varying slow and laid-back tempos as well as swinging and upbeat tunes. Swinging tunes  such as Mack Gordon and Harry Warren's 'There’ll Never Be Another You' and 'My Favorite Things' from the all time Musical classic 'The Sound Of Music'. And all of this is achieved with just the haunting strings of the guitar and the fabulous bass. I am fortunate enough to have found Lorenz Beyeler who plays the bass. He is based in Switzerland’s capital city of Bern and is an accomplished bass man! He keeps us in ‘time’ and helps to create that magical sound! You can read all about him below.

Beat Baumli is a fine guitarist, composer and arranger. I am fortunate to work with him on this album too. He is responsible for the arrangements of the songs and sharing the tunes 'Jump In' and 'Illusions' with me. He wrote these tunes many years ago and had them filed away. I gladly wrote the lyrics just for our shows and this recording. 
  
'Pieps' is a  guitarist, producer and songwriter and proves that this is certainly a global project as he wrote the title Track ‘A Little Closer’ whilst based in Holland and  I provided the lyrics right here in Basel. We met through the music website  SELLABAND. This is a very special work for me and I truly hope you enjoy every moment. Having spent more than ten years performing and recording throughout Europe and South East Asia this album represents a return home. A return to ‘voice’! As the title track suggests I feel I am ‘a little closer’ to you; the audience and the listener. I feel bold as I stand centre stage with just the fine strings of the guitar and the steady beat of the bass. 

 

Beat has loved the  guitar and was self-taught from a very young age. He initially played in local rock bands around the area of Baden and Brugg  until he came across the recordings of legendary guitarist, Wes Montgomery,  which changed his life. He was now converted to jazz. He embarked on Jazz Studies at the Swiss Jazz School in Berne as well as the Berklee College of Music in Boston, USA. He studied with the likes of Gary Burton, Hal Crook and Jerry Bergonzi. Since 1987  Beat has worked as a freelancer in a variety of bands, mostly in small jazz formations, but also Big Bands and Musicals. He has had countless appearances in the local jazz music scene - Bird's Eye Jazz Club in Basel, Moods in Zurich, Baden Isebähnli, Lausanne's Pianissimo and Chorus, etc. In addition Beat is often performing at private and business events with famous musicians of the Swiss jazz scene  throughout the country. 
 
Beat has also taught guitar lessons  at the Academy Of Contemporary Music in Zurich and also in St. Gallen Jazz School. He is currently balancing his performances and his  teaching of the guitar. He teaches  part-time at the Municipal Music Schools in Baden and Lenzburg.

 

Lorenz began his musical career as a cellist and some years later moved to the acoustic bass. He studied in the jazz department at the University of Music and Theatre in Bern. He studied under Thomas Durst, Peter Frei, Béla Szedlak and Bänz Öster. Today his musical work, alongside the  regular jazz formations, comprises of the 'Daniel Woodtli Trio', Till Grünewald's 'Phono Source', the 'BAB Trio' and the 'Swiss Jazz Orchestra'. Lorenz has also had the pleasure of performing with many of the Swiss based jazz personalities such as George Robert, Sandy Patton, Francis Coletta, Heinz Bigler, Rory Stuart, Mike Goetz, Colin Vallon and Joan Faulkner. He has had countless appearances at the top jazz festivals  in the country ranging from the Bern Jazz Festival, Montreux, Zurich, Langnau, Cully and Cannes.

Lorenz continues to gain more from his 'idols' by attending various Master Workshops led by such greats as  Ray Brown,  Rufus Reid and Jay Anderson.