 An American singer, a European band: this constellation suggests a familiar principle. It has been common practice in jazz for ages for artists from the States to look for an accompanying group for performances or recordings in Europe. However, the case is different here; the story behind "Here We Are" does not fit into this scheme at all. The sextet around vocalist and songwriter Lori Williams from the States has been a proven collective for years. "A community that I have learned to appreciate and love as a family!" Williams praised her co-musicians with a radiant smile.. When she talks about saxophonist Bernhard Wiesinger, guitarist Christian Havel and the others, she also talks about them as her brothers. "And I'm a sister to all the guys in the band!" she added, laughing. "This group has become my home away from home." The fact that something special has to be behind the first joint album can already be concluded by a look at the songs. Sure: "My Romance" is a standard. And: "Here We Are" ends with a touching version of James Taylor's classic song "Fire and Rain". Otherwise, there are own pieces on the program, composed by the musicians and most with lyrics by Lori Williams. The multi-talented American hails from Washington DC . She has also released a number of her own albums over the course of her career of three decades. She wrote the lyrics for many songs. Williams grew up with music. She already sang in the church when she was in preschool. Music was omnipresent in her home, especially gospel, which her parents encouraged. Lori Williams discovered jazz in college, where she soon designed the radio station's jazz program. She met one of her great heroines there, the vocal luminary Dianne Reeves, for the first time. She also took her passion for jazz to Hampton University in Virginia. After that, she went to Japan for five years at the side of her first husband who was in the army. Williams conducted a gospel choir there, among other things. And she met another brilliant role model, singer and songwriter Abbey Lincoln. Back in Washington D.C., Lori Williams accepted a job as a teacher since she had to work as the breadwinner for her family. In addition, she pursued her musical career to the extent that was possible. She performed, made contacts, and soon became a busy singer who knew how to move confidently between jazz, soul and gospel. She eventually left her job in the school system. Today, she focuses largely on her artistic side, giving concerts and teaching singing, including in workshops. The connection to her colleagues from Austria goes back to an offer she received out of the blue in 2012. Saxophonist and flutist Bernhard Wiesinger had come across Lori Williams on the internet. Wiesinger, born in 1981, had long since gained an excellent reputation in the wider field of jazz in Vienna, his birthplace. He has long been regarded as one of Austria's outstanding jazz personalities. He has recorded his excellent albums "Enlightened" and "Notice That Moment" (both on Double Moon) in New York with awesome musicians such as Bill Stewart, Scott Colley, Peter Bernstein and Kevin Hays. In 2010, Wiesinger took over management of the "Jazzwerkstatt Poysdorf" association, which had made the small town north of Vienna a recognized jazz venue in Austria. The summer workshop and concert series "Poysdorf Jazz & Wine" took place this year for the 25th time. Once again in the instructor team: Lori Williams, Bernhard Wiesinger and guitarist Christian Havel. When Wiesinger first invited the American singer, whose vocals inspired him, to "Jazz & Wine" in 2012, she didn’t hesitate to accept. "That sounded just cool, and I spontaneously embarked on the adventure." The trip to Lower Austria became a revelation, and helped her to become part of a new musical family. “It just turned out to be a fantastic encounter. It clicked! It just had a great vibe“. It doesn't sound much different from Wiesinger's point of view. "It was a kind of love at first sight. It is very much a matter of common chemistry. And we felt it immediately." While Lori Williams was initially only intended as a workshop lecturer, many similarities soon became apparent during sessions and in more intensive exchanges. Since 2012, Lori Williams has returned to Poysdorf every summer, except for two years. One song that is firmly part of the repertoire of the lecturer band is "My Romance". The standard became a core piece of musical team building activities. In 2016 Williams, Wiesinger and Havel were together in the studio for the first time on the occasion of the production of an album by Christian Havel. Later, recordings of the entire workshop band were made, but they were never released due to problems on the part of the company involved. This fueled the desire to finally release an official album. After all, the well-rehearsed team had also become a tour band, completely independent of the Poysdorf event. "Here We Are" underlines what a good instinct Wiesinger had when he first contacted Lori Williams. The American with a warm voice is a technically brilliant vocalist and a wonderfully expressive song interpreter. A discovery for many, without a doubt! You can hear that the pieces were developed together, and they have also proven their quality in live performances. The Brazilian touch, which repeatedly appears as style and color, is thanks to Christian Havel and pianist Renato Chicco. Wiesinger emphasized: “We are a collective. Everyone contributes something. There are no overinflated egos; it's not about 'see what I can do!', it's about music. You can hear this spirit. Of course, Lori is the main character, but we act on an equal footing.” And Williams added: "You can really feel genuine emotions," which are also triggered by her lyrics. The songs on "Here We Are" have a positive, uplifting charisma, starting with the title track, the spiritual center of this magnificent album.
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