Lukas DeRungs

“WAKE”

(Berthold Records)

Lukas DeRungs – piano, vocals, beatbox,  Immy Churchill – vocals, Karim Saber – guitar, Jan Dittmann – bass, Jonas Esser- drums

with;

Rainer Bohm – piano, Bodek Janke – tabla, percussion, Johannes Stange – trumpet, flugelhorn, didgeridoo

This album was kindly forwarded to me for review purposes by the London based guitarist Karim Saber. I recently reviewed Saber’s own quintet at an excellent performance at The Marr’s Bar, Worcester, which included material from his own impressive debut album “Transmission” (Ubuntu Music, 2024).
https://www.thejazzmann.com/reviews/review/karim-saber-quintet-music-spoken-here-the-marrs-bar-worcester-22-05-2025

Lukas DeRungs is a German pianist and composer, originally from Mannheim. “WAKE” represents his second album release and follows 2023’s well received, award winning “Kosmos Suite”, an ambitious work that featured a jazz quintet plus chamber choir.

DeRungs spent two years studying music at the London Academy of Music & Dramatic Art and retains strong links with the UK. “Kosmos Suite” was recorded in London at St. Mark’s Church, Marylebone and features largely British personnel, among them Saber, vocalist Immy Churchill, bassist John Jones and drummer Oren McLoughlin.

The new album “WAKE” features an Anglo-German ensemble with DeRungs retaining the services of Saber and Churchill alongside the German rhythm section of bassist Jan Dittmann and New York based drummer Jonas Esser. This core quintet is periodically augmented by guest musicians Rainer Bohm, Bodek Janke and Johannes Stange who appear on selected tracks. All of the music is composed by DeRungs, with some pieces featuring lyrics written either by Churchill or the German musician, vocalist and songwriter Constanze Zacharias.

This time round the album was recorded in Germany and seems to be more of a collection of songs than a concept around a single theme. DeRungs says of the album title;
“WAKE carries multiple layers of meaning, translating to “awakening,” “vigil,” or “wake” in the context of mourning. It stands for heightened awareness, presence, and an invitation to trust one’s intuition.”

The album commences with the title track, essentially an instrumental work but one that also features Churchill’s wordless vocals intertwining with the leader’s piano and Saber’s guitar. With its attractive melodies and colourful rhythms it’s the kind of ensemble sound that might appeal to fans of the Pat Metheny Group. It’s a composition that passes through several distinct phases, with drummer Jonas Esser coming to the fore in the central section prior to a passage that is variously loosely structured and anthemic, with guest trumpeter Stange making a brief contribution. The piece eventually concludes with a passage of unaccompanied double bass from Dittmann.

“Colours” is a song that sees Zacharias’ lyrics using colours as a metaphor for lost love. The excellent Churchill delivers the words with icy conviction, sometimes sharing the vocals with DeRungs himself. The piano solo is actually by guest Rainer Bohm, with Bodek Janke also making a substantial contribution on tabla. Saber, Dittmann and Esser also fulfil their roles convincingly.

Churchill sings her own words on “In The Dark” and impresses both as a vocalist and a lyricist. The words are atmospheric and seem to describe some sort of pilgrimage. They are complemented by a rhapsodic piano solo, this time from DeRungs himself. Saber adds subtle guitar shadings and the rhythm team of Dittmann and Esser again impress with their intelligence, flexibility and sensitivity. “For me that was great”, observes Churchill at the end of the take. I’m sure most listeners will concur.

“E Bright” is another primarily instrumental piece, but again with Churchill’s wordless vocal lines dovetailing neatly with the guitar and keyboards. Churchill is the daughter of Pete Churchill and Nikki Iles, both close associates of Norma Winstone,  and there’s something of a Winstone like quality about Immy’s vocalising. This piece is also notable for a searing and soaring guitar solo from the excellent Saber, powerfully and colourfully supported by Esser, who is also featured with a short unaccompanied drum passage.

“Inner Cell Flux (Intro) is a brief but vigorous passage featuring the leader’s piano and beatboxing skills that leads into “Inner Cell Flux” itself, a seven and a half minute ‘epic’ with something of a prog rock feel about it. It features Churchill’s dramatic semi spoken declaration of Zacharias’ words, accompanied by guest Stange’s atmospheric trumpet / flugel colourations. Later we hear further examples of Churchill’s usual flexible wordless vocalising. There’s an expansive piano solo from the leader, plus more dynamic drumming from the consistently impressive Esser.

The fate of the Shakespeare character Ophelia has represented an appealing subject for other artists, including songwriters, among them Peter Hammill and now DeRungs and lyricist Churchill. Later featuring percussive contributions from Janke the song opens with the sound of unaccompanied piano, later joined by guitar and Churchill’s evocative and well enunciated vocals, singing her own poetic lyrics. The performance is also notable for Dittmann’s double bass solo, underpinned by a combination of drums, percussion and guitar.

“18 Degrees” is another ‘instrumental’ piece to feature Churchill’s wordless melodies, again dovetailing closely with piano and guitar. Saber emerges to deliver a typically inventive guitar solo, spiralling above the ferment of Esser’s drumming. There’s also a spectacular voice and piano dialogue that develops into a rousing group finale.

There’s a final moment of introspection with “Goodbye Younger Self”, a song with lyrics by Churchill that speak with a maturity way beyond her years. It’s a beautiful performance, initially featuring just voice and piano, but with double bass and brushed drums later added, these providing the gentle rhythmic impetus for a lyrical DeRungs piano solo.

The album concludes with “London”, a brief and lyrical reflection on DeRung’s time in that city that includes the sounds of Churchill’s wordless vocals and Stange’s brass in addition to guitar, bass and drums. The featured soloist is DeRungs himself with a brief foray on piano towards the close.

Overall I was very impressed with “WAKE”, an album that reveals DeRungs to be more than just a jazz pianist and composer. In his collaborations with lyricists Churchill and Zacharias he also proves himself to be an intelligent and accomplished songwriter. Both the ‘jazz compositions’ and the ‘songs’ on this album work equally well and complement each other superbly. DeRungs is an emerging artist with plenty to say.

The standard of the singing and playing from all the participants is exceptional throughout. I’ve heard Churchill perform cameos as a guest vocalist before but never listened to her over the course of an entire album, so her contribution is a revelation. I was already familiar with Saber, but Dittmann and New York based Esser represent exciting new discoveries. But ultimately the triumph is DeRungs’, a supremely accomplished pianist and also the visionary force behind this varied and very impressive album.

 

 

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