Oct. 16 & 17 = Esther Kaiser live in Manila

Celebrate German Month 2005 with Esther Kaiser! The Goethe-Institut
Manila, in cooperation with the Jazz Society of the Philippines,
invites everyone to watch and listen to young upcoming German jazz
singer Esther Kaiser perform songs from her debut CD "Jazz Poems" and
the forthcoming release "The Moment We Met".

Esther Kaiser will have two performances in Manila: a mini-concert to
be held at The Podium on Sunday, October 16, and a concert at the
Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium at the RCBC Plaza on Monday, October 17.
Both start at 7 pm. Admission is free and on a first-come,
first-served basis.

There will also be a special Music Workshop for jazz singers on
Sunday, October 16, from 230 to 5 pm at Wasabi. The workshop is by
invitation only. Those interested in participating should contact the
Goethe-Institut Manila at 7224671 to 73.

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ESTHER KAISER Profile:

Esther Kaiser was born in Freiburg, Germany. She made a name for
herself in the 1990's through her participation in a number of
projects: she sang with the National German Youth Jazz Orchestra, was
one of the founding members of the jazz vocal quartet "Berlin
Voices", and she finished at the top ten of the 1995 and 1997
editions of Germany's National Musical, Chanson and Song Contest.
Kaiser also has some experience in musical theatre.

Kaiser, an upcoming singer of the German jazz scene, is known for her
clear youthful soprano voice. She fronts the Esther Kaiser Quartet,
which is made up of bassist Marc Muellbauer, drummer Jens Dohle, and
pianist Carsten Daerr, who also plays the harmonica.

Like many other jazz ensembles, they mostly perform works by other
composers, including classics from the Great American Songbook ("Over
the Rainbow" and "Bye Bye Blackbird"), as well as some folk ("Black is
the Colour" from Ireland), pop ("Fragile" by Sting, "Eleanor Rigby" by
the Beatles), light classics ("Waltz" by Chopin), and even a lullaby
by German cabaret artist Hanns Dieter Hüsch ("Der Tag ist aus").
While a lot of the songs aren't new, Kaiser's interpretation of them
certainly is. Her arrangement of "Eleanor Rigby" is a case in point.
The Beatles' classic becomes a musical drama, swinging from crescendo
to contemplative mood and back again. The lyrics are familiar, but
the rhythm is very different, moving smoothly from strains of bossa
nova to funk. Here, the harmonica is used as a lead instrument as a
counterpoint to the piano. "Eleanor Rigby" shines through, but it is
a very different – and innovative – type of performance.

Kaiser also writes her own lyrics, not just for her own compositions
but also for instrumental works by other writers. This combination of
songs has definitely made her repertoire stand out from the rest.
Esther Kaiser has recorded 2 albums. Her debut "Jazz Poems" was
released in 2004. "The Moment We Met" will be released in early 2006.