Latvian vocalist Līva Dumpe is first and foremost a storyteller, described as tameless and impressionistic with an affinity for the free and avant-garde. A collection of melodies and stories wrapped in free improvisation and experimentation, Dumpe’s debut album ‘Tālskatis’ was released on June 21st.
The album mirrors the vocalist’s last four years of studying and living in the Netherlands – a duality of nostalgia for the traditions and nature of her Latvian roots contrasted with the growth, self-discovery and a gamut of emotions she’s experienced in her new home.
“You can hear these contrasts in the album-naivety and melancholy against an urge to stand up for yourself and speak about topics that make me angry and worth fighting for,” says Dumpe.
Forming her quintet in 2022 out of close friends and collaborators from her studies at the Conservatory of Amsterdam, the ensemble’s shared history and collective love for jazz and creative music cultivated trust and safety, inspiring Dumpe to bring forward experimental ideas that push jazz’s traditional boundaries.REVIEWS
Rozhlas Jazz (CZ) “a remarkable debut”
Jazzflits (NL) “a striking variety… beautifully chaotic”
JazzThetik (DE) “Dumpe masterfully balances the tension and the release of the music”
All About Jazz (US) “heralds a bright future for this imaginative artist”
La Habitación Del Jazz (ES) “Modern rhythms, contemporary harmonies, acoustic and electronic textures…”
Musikansich (DE) “Individualists who are looking for unusual music should be able to find their fulfillment here”
Musikreviews (DE) “a sparkling musical fabric that is both fragile and empowering at the same time”
Era Jazzu (PL) “an exalted impressionist with a passion for freedom and avant-garde”