Very Strauss Simone Kopmajer

• 1 Birthday Roses ("Rosen aus dem Süden", Op. 388) (feat. Scott Robinson) 02:44
• 2 In the Clearing of the Forest ("Geschichten aus dem Wienerwald", Op. 325) 04:01
• 3 The Way We Make Our Love Our Own ("Die Fledermaus", Op. 367) (feat. Norbert Schneider) 03:36
• 4 Your Smile´s a Work of Art ("Der Zigeunerbaron") (feat. Wesley Amorim) 03:29
• 5 Tipsy Song ("Eine Nacht in Venedig", Op. 117) (feat. Marika Lichter) 03:19
• 6 By and By ("Ein Lied? Ein Lied?" from "Die Göttin der Vernunft") 02:21
• Total Runtime 19:30

Info for Very Strauss

In 2025, the world will celebrate the 200th birthday of Johann Strauss II – the composer who set Vienna dancing and whose melodies have long since become part of the city's soul. For two centuries, his name has stood for elegance, romance, and rhythm. But what happens when this timeless beauty speaks the language of modern jazz?

A voice like Simone Kopmajer's knows the answer. With unmistakable warmth and effortless phrasing, she takes Strauss from the 19th-century ballroom and brings him to a contemporary jazz club – where chandeliers give way to soft light and the rustle of silk blends into the delicate play of drum brushes.

The waltz becomes conversation.
The "Tipsy Song" brings laughter in 6/8 time.
And "Roses from the South" swing.

Each piece on this album is both homage and transformation. Simone doesn't imitate, she translates. Her English lyrics preserve Strauss's romanticism and tenderness, but add modern soul and intimacy. The arrangements shine with delicate harmonies, carried by walking bass and gentle grooves – a soundscape poised between nostalgia and curiosity.

On the bicentenary of Johann Strauss II's birth, this project connects centuries and styles – Vienna in the sound of jazz: where time dissolves and melody begins to dance anew.

The artist has invited Marika Lichter and Norbert Schneider as guests to join her in duets, paying tribute to the Waltz King in a new guise.

Close your eyes.

Imagine the city at night.

And let Simone To guide Kopmajer's voice through a new Vienna – graceful, bold, and timeless.

Kopmajer: "The idea for a Strauss project was born two years ago, but we wanted to use the anniversary year as an opportunity and are releasing the songs gradually this year." How did these swinging versions come about? The accomplished pianist and arranger Geri Schuller has wrapped the originals in new harmonies and rhythms; the melodies themselves remain unchanged, but are now sung by Kopmajer. For this purpose, violinist Emily Stewart wrote English lyrics: "These words relate to the original music, but at the same time tell a new story," says Kopmajer, who finds the combination of Strauss and swing to be extremely harmonious.

Simone Kopmajer, vocals
Gerald Schuller, piano
Danny Ziemann, bass
Reinhardt Winkler, drums
Scott Robinson, tenor saxophone
Wesley Amorim, guitar (track 4)
Laurinho Bandeira, percussion (track 4)
Marika Lichter, vocals (track 5)
Norbert Schneider, vocals (track 3)

All arrangements by Gerald Schuller
Recorded at Audiotope, Graz, Austria
Recording Engineer: Philipp Kopmajer
Mixed and Mastered by Philipp Kopmajer at Soundzimmer, AT
Produced by Simone Kopmajer & Gerald Schuller

Simone Kopmajer
She has soul and a particular charismatic tone in her voice that gives each song that special something. Born in Schladming, Austria, Simone Kopmajer already achieved at a young age what many musicians, bands and ensembles dream of – the launch of a successful international career. In the United States, Japan and Southeast Asia, the singer is a household name for lovers of demanding and refined jazz music. She fills large concert halls, performs as the headliner of major international festivals and has sold thousands of CDs worldwide. Lo and behold, it seems as if only Austria is not quite aware of this outstanding and award winning singer.

In a time where everyone is complaining about declining CD sales, Simone Kopmajer managed the feat of selling more than 25,000 units of her album “Nothing’s Gonna Change” in Thailand last year. Not only is this a very impressive figure, in Thailand her release was also on the topof the list of the best-selling jazz albums of the year. Similarly impressive are the sales figures in Japan, where the Styrian-born musician made her breakthrough at an even earlier stage.

Her enthusiasm and love for music already kindled at a very early age. She began to sing at eight, with twelve she sang in the band of her father, who was a music school director and a big jazz fan, and at sixteen she was accepted at the University of Music and Dramatic Arts in Graz, where she was immediately admitted due to her rare talent. During her studies, she was given the opportunity to work with many renowned artists such as Mark Murphy, Sheila Jordan, Michele Hendricks, Jay Clayton and the New York Voices.

In the year 2000 she debuted in the U.S. and left a lasting impression among quite a few experts and connoisseurs of contemporary jazz music. Simone Kopmajer’s role models were the great voices of jazz and American show business, such as Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, and Jon Hendricks, although over time the Styrian-born detached herself more and more from these influences to findher own musical language.

With her charisma and unbelievable talent, Simone Kopmajer manages to give her songs a very specific emotional, charming and in-depth note, which simply touches the people. Her sound is located somewhere between jazz, swing and tasteful pop. Although her music is very relaxed, flowing and elegant, it is also very playful and varied – these multilayered facets distinguished her early off from similar formats and made her music all the more interesting.

With her debut album “Moonlight Serenade”, which was released in 2004 and produced by Todd Barkan, the award winning singer was able to land respectable successes, especially in Japan. As a consequence, the singer was able to steadily increase her popularity from one album to the next. Unfortunately her albums were not available in Austria for a very long time. In 2009 her album “Didn’t You Say”, recorded in collaboration with stars such as George Mraz, Houston Person, Victor Lewis and James Genus , finally also opened the gates to the domestic market.

The probably largest success of Simone Kopmajer’s carreer was with her fifth album “Nothing’s Gonna Change” in 2011, which, as already mentioned, made her a celebrated star in new realms such as Thailand, where she will perform as the main act of the major international Chiang Mai Jazz Festival in November.

It is safe to say that Simone Kopmajer is on her way to the very top. With the ability to constantly raise her musicto the next level, we may assume that there is yet a lot more to come and it will be excitingto see where the journey will still take this exceptional singer. (Michael Ternai)

This album contains no booklet.