Steph Richards

On Friday evening, the stage at Quasimodo belongs to the sound experiments of California-based trumpeter Steph Richards and her quartet, which reflect on the influence of the sense of smell on our listening experience.

German premiere

Steph Richards "Power Vibe"

(CA, US, JP)

For Canadian trumpeter Steph Richards, music is more than a purely acoustic phenomenon. Other sensory perceptions influence how she experiences a performance or recording. Given this fact, it's not surprising that her 2020 album Supersense features more than just a visually designed cover. During the track creation phase, Richards had Detroit artist and perfumer Sean Raspet develop scents that became part of the creative process. Together, they created earthy aromas that smelled as pleasant as they did unexpected, and used unusual essences for the compositions, including those extracted from the exoskeleton of a cricket. Each album copy comes with a scent card, so listeners can also experience the smells Richards had in mind when composing. However, the music also works without such additions. At times Richards docks with the post-bop tradition, then moves away from it with ease - whether through driving swing or in free, stripped-back sonic figures - while her quartet effortlessly masters the shifts between abstraction and groove. Richards, who currently teaches music performance at the University of California at San Diego, feels at home in several genres beyond jazz - contemporary music, for example, or art pop as part of collaborations with the likes of David Byrne and St. Vincent. The main focus of her own practice, however, is improvisation. The quartet she brings to Berlin - with bassist Stomu Takeishi, drummer Max Jaffe and pianist Joshua White - has recorded the music of "Supersense", but has also been working for several years on a new repertoire, with which it aims to expand and break down the walls of tradition from within, without bringing them crashing down.

Line-up

Steph Richards - trumpet

Joshua White - piano

Stomu Takeishi - bass

Max Jaffe - drums, electronics