Don’t miss this, it was out in May, so was nearly missed here. AKI are a sublime jazz collective featuring the blissful vocals of Lucia Cadotsch and a range of styles across this superme set. There are hints of Pat Metheny, alongside more complex grooves with free jazz interludes, throughout a varied and captivating LP.  

AKI is the new quartet of prominent bandleader and vocalist Cadotsch and she is able to incorporate the enigmatic guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel for multiple guest appearances on the group’s self-titled debut. 

Cadotsch met Rosenwinkel on the vibrant Berlin scene, shortly after moving there at the age of only 18 in 2002. AKI marks the duo’s first recorded collaboration, and a landmark moment for Cadotsch.

“When I was in my late teens, full of dreams and hopes to become a musician, I discovered Kurt Rosenwinkel’s album The Next Step, and some years later, in my first years in Berlin, Heartcore,” she says. “His music has become the soundtrack to a very special period in my life, the beginning of my path to dedicating my life to music.“

AKI is: Lucia Cadotsch (vocals), Kit Downes (piano/organ), Phil Donkin (bass), James Maddren (drums), with special guest Kurt Rosenwinkel (guitar).