Nils Wülker - High Spirits (2002)

He is young (twenty-four), looks appealing, has a German name and branded suits, looks into this world with blue eyes and yet doesn't play "Blue Eyed Soul" on his trumpet. Nils Wülker is the name of the secret weapon with which Sony probably wants to steal some market share from Till Brönner.
But anyone expecting light fare for trend listeners would be far from it. This is acoustic small band jazz, easy to listen to, perhaps with too few rough edges for some people, but overall on a level that makes you sit up and take notice.
The line-up is that of a classic hard bop sextet, but with flute instead of tenor saxophone, which makes the sound softer overall. The compositions, all written by Nils Wülker, incorporate influences from hard bop, modal and rock jazz to ECM melancholy and echoes of pop and rock music à la the Esbjörn Svensson Trio. Despite a certain commercial appeal, this is thoroughly honest music, played with commitment, not least by Wülker himself, who uses his solo accents sparingly but convincingly.
A promising debut for the trumpeter and composer, who is currently attending the Hans Eissler University of Music in Berlin. Who could blame him for aggressively using his marketing opportunities?