Lucia Cadotsch, born in Zurich, Switzerland, is a singer and songwriter based in Berlin. She is one of the most recognized vocalists in the European contemporary jazz scene and is best known for long-standing collaborative bands Speak Low, LIUN + The Science Fiction Band and AKI.

 

Speak Low, her chamber trio with Petter Eldh (upright bass) and Otis Sandsjö (tenor saxophone), debuted in 2017. The project set things off by deep diving into the world of jazz standards and folk songs; updating and reframing them with the freedom and audacity of modern remix culture. The Guardian and DownBeat gave the record their maximum ratings; while the latter included it in its Best Albums of the Year list. As a consequence, the trio was invited to play at the NYC Winter Jazzfest. To date, the group played a total of over 150 shows! Their debut was followed up by a collection of remixes, covers, and reworks called Speak Low Renditions. If features some of the most unique “voices” on the scene: Dan Nicholls, Joy Frempong, Evelinn Trouble, Julian Sartorius, Marc Lohr, Colin Vallon, Trummerschlunk, Marc Neyen, and Don Philippe. In 2020, Kit Downes (hammond organ) and Lucy Railton (cello) joined the outfit (as featured guests), and the group released Speak Low II.

 

LIUN  + The Science Fiction Band is Lucia’s band with saxophonist / producer Wanja Slavin. Although they started writing songs together back in 2013, their first record (Time Rewind) only dropped in 2019. Kurt Rosenwinkel called it “an instant classic.” Francesco Wilking described it as “synth pop for the people of the day after-tomorrow.” Multilayered, orchestral, and self-reflexive – their music is a universe. In a live setting, they can be spotted in three different iterations. The first one is a quintet, with Bernhard Meyer on electric bass, Andi Fins on keys, and Fabian Rösch on drums. As a large ensemble, they are supplemented by a six piece reed and horn section as well as a piano trio. In 2020, the band also collaborated with the EOS Chamber Orchestra, who played scaled up arrangements of the LIUN material. Their sophomore record, titled Lily of the Nile, will be released in the fall of this year on Heartcore records.

 

AKI is a quartet consisting of Lucia (vocals), Kit Downes (organ and piano), Phil Donkin (bass), and James Maddren (drums). The origins of the group can be traced back to a longstanding collaboration between Cadotsch and Downes that punctuated in writing a plethora of material. The songs blend Cadotsch’s idiosyncratic wordplay and imagery and Downes‘ rich, layered soundscapes. The idea to add a rhythm section – with James Maddren on drums and Phil Donkin on bass – was born out of the desire to expand the sonic possibilities of the group and to inject the music with new perspectives.

 

Over the years, Lucia Cadotsch received several awards. In 2021, she was awarded the German Jazz Award in the category VOKAL. In 2017, she received the ECHO Jazz award for Singer of the Year (for her album Speak Low). In 2012, she received the New German Jazz Award with her band Schneeweiss + Rosenrot.