Versatile pianist, vocalist, and composer Fabienne Ambuehl makes a striking return to the jazz scene with the prestigious Ubuntu Music label. Hailing from Switzerland, the talented performer and composer honed her craft at both the Lucerne School of Music and Copenhagen's Complete Vocal Institute (having won a scholarship for the latter), before making the move to London. This relocation was one of many influences for her second album, Thrive, as well as her fascination with poetry and nature.

Ambuehl's sound is rooted firmly in jazz, but the influence of folk creates a delightful fusion that makes for immersive listening. The foundations of this distinctive sound were established on Ambuehl’s first album, Glitterwoods, released back in 2015, and it's clear that this melodic and imaginative style has been built upon in Thrive to solidify her own unique jazz sound. Ambuehl’s pulsing piano drives many of the original compositions on the album, with the support from her tight-knit and highly reputable ensemble: Ant Law and Tom Ollendorff (guitar), Jon Scott (drums), and Matt Ridley (bass). The ease with which they play together is telling, weaving through tracks as a seamless unit - though Ambuehl doesn't neglect to leave room for each to showcase their individual skill-set throughout these eight new compositions.  

The opening track “New Ones” is whimsical and bold. Ambuehl’s wordless vocals are light, airy and otherworldly - though the tone shifts for Law on guitar to take a free-flowing solo. Ambuehl’s fascination for all things natural is clear in “Immaculate Rain”, which describes the sense of renewal after rainfall. Traditional expectations of jazz vocals are set aside in favour of a lilting vocal quality, and her clear and open tone is complemented by the soft and light accompaniment of the band. Though Ambuehl clearly enjoys writing about natural surroundings, the busy nature of “Binocular” certainly captures the bustle of a city landscape. Scott delivers a strong rhythmic groove that permeates all the way through, grounding the improvisations that happen up top, but adds flourishes and embellishments throughout.  

Ambuehl makes no secret of her love for poetry: both Emily Dickinson and D.H. Lawrence feature in tracks where she adds melody to their written word. The track “My River” takes the words of Dickinson’s ‘My River Runs to Thee’ and gives it melodic life. The music itself rolls like a river, driven by swirling and recurring piano motifs, and accented by percussive drumming from Scott. Comparatively, the title track “Thrive” utilises the words of D.H Lawrence from his poem ‘Self Pity’, and rather than propelled movement, encourages reflection. The opening is a dark, romantic piano solo from Ambuehl (which harkens back to her initial classical training), before segueing into an intimate and subtle ensemble set up. The ethereal, haunting vocals and stripped-back playing from the band creates a hypnotic sound, making it a strong conclusion to a highly conceptualised album. 

Lyrical, intimate, and yet bursting with energy, Fabienne Ambuehl has crafted a sublime second album that builds upon her vision as an artist to carve out a unique sound on the jazz scene. It is packed with well-crafted and structured compositions that are brimming with both subtlety and nuance, as well as energy and life. One can only look forward to what the future holds for Ambuehl as she continues to shape her own distinctive voice within the jazz genre.

Maddy Allison

from  www.prestomusic.com