On Changes & Choices, jazz singer-lyricist-composer Michaela Steinhauer performs a fascinating program of originals that range from memorable melodies to stretches of free improvising. Teamed with alto-saxophonist Alexey Kruglov and pianist Roman Stolyar, Steinhauer covers a wide range of styles and grooves while constructing a consistent narrative.
Michaela Steinhauer is a storyteller with a flexible voice who displays a wide range both in notes and emotions. She is also a talented improviser who constantly challenges herself and her instrumentalists.
Ms. Steinhauer’s latest project, Changes & Choices, is a conceptual album in which the songs, connecting free tonal improvisations with a narrated story, form a drama about a seasoned lady reminiscing about the past, letting go of the memories and emotions, and finding inner peace. It was recorded in Moscow in a trio with alto-saxophonist Alexey Kruglov and pianist Roman Stolyar. The singer wrote all of the music except for Ivory Stone’s “Abandoned Chapel.”
Alexey Kruglov and Roman Stolyar are both very well known in the free jazz music world. Kruglov has collaborated with a wide range of artists including Jimmy Heath, Christian McBride, Joe Lovano, Gary Bartz, Joachim Kuhn, and Viacheslav Ganelin among many others. He has performed at quite a few festivals, leads Krugly Band, and has released more than 70 albums. Stolyar has worked with Dominic Duval, William Parker, Vinny Golia, Oliver Lake and others, leading at least ten albums of his own.
The three musicians have years of experience playing together and, during Changes & Choices, they shift between styles with ease. “Me, Myself and I” starts quietly and then becomes a playful tune with Steinhauer displaying her wide range, particularly after the piano solo. She is dramatic on “Why Is She Still Here” (one of several songs with a memorable melody) and sings freely on “She’s Dancing.” The warm ballad “Choices” is followed by Kruglov’s adventurous alto playing which sometimes recalls Eric Dolphy on “Abandoned Chapel.” Here as throughout the program, Stolyar contributes both stimulating accompaniment and creative solos.
“Moving” has a catchy theme, “Nothing New Under The Sun” features some particularly assertive and passionate singing which becomes quite free, and the joyful “The Other Day” has Steinhauer’s spirited scat-singing before the episodic “She Smiles” concludes the thought-provoking program. Throughout Changes & Choices, the interplay between the three musicians is colorful and inventive.
Born and raised in Germany, Michaela Steinhauer began singing as a child, played piano from the age of nine, and performed with a pop/rock band that she co-founded when she was 16. She always loved to both improvise and compose music and was drawn towards jazz. In 1999 she moved to Moscow where she studied with some of the top Russian jazz musicians. She recorded her debut album, performed on a regular basis throughout Europe, worked as a vocal educator, and did all of the composing (in addition to writing the stories and screenplays) for four musicals
In 2014 Michaela moved to New York, studying at Queens College and earning a Master’s degree in jazz studies before returning to Germany in 2018. In her career she has recorded eight albums, using such sidemen as Craig Handy, Wallace Roney, Orrin Evans, and Hendrik Meurkens.
The adventurous yet accessible and intimate Changes & Choices introduces the multi-talented Michaela Steinhauer to a worldwide audience as she perfectly balances improvisation with compositions, storytelling with unpredictable flights that feature her beautiful voice and her skilled sidemen.
1. Me, myself and I 7:22
2. Why is she still here 5:44
3. She’s dancing 6:54
4. Choices 6:20
5. Abandoned chapel (words and melody Ivory Stone) 6:10
6. Moving 6:58
7. Nothing new under the sun 3:49
8. The other day 7:31
9. She smiles 4:57
Michaela Steinhauer - Vocals, Lyrics, Music, and Storyline
Alexey Kruglov - Alto Saxophone
Roman Stolyar - Piano
