Dida

Description

Some musicians impress with virtuosity. Others with their voice. Dida Pelled achieves something much more difficult: She manages to make you feel from the very first note as if you were sitting in a small club in Brooklyn, listening to a concert among friends. With her warm singing, unmistakable guitar playing, and disarming naturalness, the Brooklyn-based musician has been one of the most exciting personalities in the New York jazz scene for years. Her music knows no stylistic inhibitions. Jazz standards meet blues, singer-songwriter folk meets soul, original compositions meet surprisingly newly interpreted classics. Everything feels light, unpretentious, yet thought through down to the smallest detail. Born in Israel, Dida Pelled moved to New York at the age of twenty to study at the renowned New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music. During her first year of study, she was discovered at a small bar performance in the West Village by Italian trumpeter and producer Fabio Morgera. He invited her to record her first album – with none other than Roy Hargrove and Gregory Hutchinson. The debut Dida Plays and Sings (2011) was counted among the albums of the year by All About Jazz and made the young guitarist internationally known overnight. This was followed by tours through Europe and North America as well as further highly regarded releases. With Modern Love Songs, she showed her love for songwriting far beyond jazz. The instrumental trio album A Missing Shade of Blue revealed her bluesy side, while Love of the Tiger (2022) became her most personal recording to date – a loving homage to her extraordinary family, shaped by a Thai grandmother, an Iraqi grandfather, a magical mother, and a father who actually changed his official last name to “The Tiger.”
Today, Dida Pelled regularly performs in legendary New York clubs such as Smalls, Dizzy’s Club, City Winery, or Ornithology and appears at international festivals from Ottawa to Padova to the Red Sea Jazz Festival. Wherever she performs, the same special atmosphere arises: humorous, relaxed, musically high-class, and at the same time incredibly approachable. For the audience of Musig im Pflegidach, however, Dida Pelled is by no means a stranger. She first thrilled with her quartet in Muri in 2017 before returning for another acclaimed concert in 2019. Between these two performances, a special relationship with the Freiamt developed: Together with Israeli pianist Yammi Wisler, she spent several days each time at the then Hotel Ochsen, where they composed, arranged, and worked on new songs. The quiet atmosphere of Muri became an unexpected source of inspiration. It is no coincidence that one of the pieces created at that time is titled “Holy Muri” – a tongue-in-cheek musical homage to the place that became much more than just a stop on a European tour for Dida Pelled. Her return to Muri for the third time in the anniversary year of Musig im Pflegidach therefore feels almost like a reunion with good friends. Her return is all the more exciting because her musical world has expanded significantly in recent years. With Fred Nardin, Paul Sikivie, and Mark Whitfield Jr., she now brings three musicians who are among the most sought-after personalities in the New York and international jazz scene. This quartet thus combines the familiarity of a long-standing musical friendship with the energy of a band that is at home on the great stages of the world. At the piano sits Fred Nardin, one of the outstanding French jazz pianists of his generation. With his elegant touch and fine sense of melody, he has been one of the most sought-after musicians in Europe for years. Many MiP visitors still remember his impressive performance with the Thomas Enhco Quartet, where he delighted the audience with his lyrical musicality. The bass is taken by Paul Sikivie, one of New York's most sought-after bassists. His warm, supportive tone and enormous stylistic openness made him the musical partner of artists such as Chris Potter, Gretchen Parlato, Aaron Parks, Joel Ross, Miguel Zenón, or Becca Stevens. His playing combines rhythmic precision with great melodic elegance.
On drums is Mark Whitfield Jr., one of the most exciting drummers of his generation. With his energetic yet incredibly tasteful playing, he is one of the busiest drummers in New York. He has worked with Kenny Garrett, Christian McBride, Chris Potter, Terrace Martin, and Nicholas Payton, among others. The audience at Musig im Pflegidach has also experienced him – at the acclaimed Chris Potter concert, where he impressively showed why he is now one of the great hopes of modern jazz. This particular lineup is what makes this quartet so special. Four musicians who are among the most active voices in the New York scene, but who never let the music take a back seat. Instead of showing off virtuosity, they tell stories. Sometimes tender and poetic, sometimes humorous and surprising, sometimes full of blues and groove. Dida Pelled has the rare gift of making an audience smile, marvel, and listen at the same time. Her concerts live from subtle nuances, spontaneous moments, and great musical openness. Exactly that mix of world-class, personality, and approachability that has characterized Musig im Pflegidach for 25 years. Dida Pelled – guitar, vocals
Fred Nardin – piano & keyboards
Paul Sikivie – bass
Mark Whitfield Jr. – drums

Highlights

• Dida Pelled, an outstanding jazz musician from Brooklyn
• Mix of jazz, blues, folk, and soul
• Internationally known through her debut album and numerous tours

General Information

Dida Pelled performs at Pflegi Muri and presents her unique mix of jazz standards and original compositions. The event promises an intimate concert experience with a talented artist who has shaped the New York jazz scene.

Location

Nordklosterrain 1, 5630 Muri AG, Switzerland

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