The collective Who Trio commemorated 20 years of existence in 2018, by starting the project “Strell”, which only now has been committed to record. This was the time considered necessary for their members to achieve the maturity of a collective language necessary to embrace the ambicious enterprise of interpreting the music of Billy Strayhorn and Duke Ellington in a (re)creative way. The goal was to infuse this rich musical heritage with today’s musical language, exploring the compositions of both historical figures like a mighty wave that allows the trio to surf to new horizons. In this new reading, we find the centrality of the blues, so essential to these two composers, combined with the open spirit of improvisation in the best way we could hope for. Contemporary jazz with deep roots in the Strayhorn/Ellington legacy, played by one of the most inspiring musical chemistries of our time, the remarkable collective interplay of Wintsch, Hemingway & Oester, the WHO trio.

All works recorded at Studio du Flon, Lausanne, Switzerland May 11 + 12, 2019, engineer – Benoît Corboz except “Passion Flower” recorded live at Chorus, Lausanne Switzerland May 25, 2018 | Post production by Michel Wintsch, Gerry Hemingway Final mix & master by Christian Guggenbühl | Photos by Jordan Hemingway | Liner notes by Bill Meyer
Recording produced by WHO trio | Executive production by Pedro Costa for Trem Azul | Design by Travassos