You Wonderful You Simone Kopmajer & Viktor Gernot

• 1 Straighten Up and Fly Right 04:23
• 2 Come Fly with Me 04:08
• 3 Tea for Two 04:54
• 4 I Love Being Here with You 04:09
• 5 Blue Bayou 04:22
• 6 You Wonderful You 03:46
• 7 One Note Samba 03:02
• 8 Lovely Day 04:51
• 9 Witchcraft 04:43
• 10 Take Five 05:22
• 11 Baby I'm a Fool 03:51
• 12 Always There 03:49
• 13 You Brought a New Kind of Love to Me 02:59
• 14 Our Easy Life Blues 03:10
• 15 Play a Simple Melody 04:30
• Total Runtime 01:01:59

Info for You Wonderful You

With elegant vocal jazz, timeless crooner aesthetics and the rare magic of two perfectly harmonising voices, Simone Kopmajer and Viktor Gernot deliver an album that sounds both nostalgic and vibrant. Drawing on the Great American Songbook, swing and soulfully interpreted pop, they create a musical dialogue brimming with charm, precision and emotion. “You Wonderful You” is no ordinary jazz release – it is a conversation between two extraordinary personalities brought to life through sound. An album that captivates immediately and leaves a lasting impression.

Simone Kopmajer has been one of Austria’s most internationally successful jazz vocalists for years. Influenced from an early age by her musical family, she developed a deep connection to jazz as a teenager and honed her skills at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Graz. She gained international attention at a young age through productions in the USA and Japan, where she worked with leading figures in the scene and built up a global fanbase. Her trademark: an elegant, finely nuanced voice that combines technical precision with emotional depth. Viktor Gernot brings a very different, yet equally impressive artistic journey to the table. As a versatile entertainer, actor and musician, he has been a fixture in the German-speaking world for decades. His roots in musical theatre, his stage presence and his experience as a live performer lend his music a special expressiveness. His warm baritone and his flair for timing and atmosphere make him the ideal counterpart to Kopmayer’s cool elegance. Together, they create a dynamic that is second to none. With “You Wonderful You”, the pair present their first joint album – a loving tribute to the great melodies of the 20th century. The “StrictlyDuets” concept uncompromisingly places musical dialogue at the centre: recorded live in the studio, driven by spontaneous interaction and genuine musical intimacy. Classics such as “Come Fly with Me” or “Take Five” meet rare gems and personal original compositions. The result is a lively, authentic jazz album that respects tradition whilst sounding fresh and immediate.

Simone Kopmajer, vocals
Viktor Gernot, vocals

Simone Kopmajer
“Is the future of contemporary jazz once again coming from Austria?” asks the German magazine “inmusic,” only to answer it itself in the next line: “Anyone who listens to the album ‘Didn’t You Say’ by the exceptional singer Simone Kopmajer simply has to come to this conclusion.” That was four years ago.

“The Best In You” – that’s the present. Recorded in Philadelphia, the brand-new album takes fans even further away from jazz. Crossover with a strong dose of classic Philly sound is the order of the day. “The Best In You” isn’t just a big step into the future musically – nine of the twelve songs were written by Simone herself: “You can’t be afraid to try new things.”

Normally, press releases resort to exaggeration, sometimes make things up, and painstakingly dig up positive aspects. With Simone Kopmajer, that's not necessary – in principle, you just need to quote from the countless articles in the (specialist) press, with the "Florida Times" summing it up succinctly and perfectly with "She's Dynamite."

But a few basic facts are in order. Born at the foot of the Dachstein mountain in a time when New Wave and Falco dominated the charts, Simone was drawn to classical instruments from an early age. She chose the piano and saxophone. She also sang in her father's band: "At home, there was new music to hear and discover every day, and we played it ourselves." After graduating from the University of Music in Graz and winning the prestigious "Hans Koller Prize," the home of jazz beckoned.

Across the Atlantic, where she recorded her debut album, "Moonlight Serenade," with producer Todd Barkan. Across the next major pond, the Pacific, where the 21-year-old immediately achieved great success in Japan. Simone herself doesn't know exactly how many of her albums she subsequently sold to her fans in the USA, Spain, and Japan. Sales figures are irrelevant as long as the artistic quality remains high and her songs continue to surprise and fascinate audiences. "She sings simply beautifully! Her magnificent voice is one thing, but when she launches into scat singing, it becomes a vocal festival!" raves "rocktimes." Again, nothing needs to be invented; the reviews speak for themselves.

Anyone who thinks Simone's voice is reserved for an elite audience is sorely mistaken. Influences from Prince and the Motown sound, from Gershwin and Rodgers & Hart, and a touch of folk create a unique niche for her sound, which captivates and enthralls people all over the world. "Didn't You Say" conjured up beautiful soundscapes ("Concerto") primarily for a European audience; its successor, "Nothing's Gonna Change," was created in collaboration with, among others, the virtuoso Wolfgang Puschnig (2011); the following year, "Live at Heidi's Jazzclub" was recorded in the USA, and "Emotion" (2013) was released primarily in Asia, from Thailand to Malaysia.

"The Best In You" (2014) finally paves the way to a global audience and is guaranteed to showcase the very best of Simone Kopmajer. For now, anyway, because who knows where the journey will lead...

Viktor Gernot
Cabaret artist. Musician. Parodist. Storyteller with conviction.

Viktor Gernot is one of Austria's most versatile and popular stage performers. As a cabaret artist, musician, actor, and entertainer, he has been on stage for decades – with witty programs, musical precision, and a feel for the subtle interplay between humor and truth.

Whether as a soloist or in an ensemble, Gernot captivates audiences with linguistic wit, musical virtuosity, and characters that feel close to life. His programs are pointed, socially relevant, but never malicious – always imbued with a wry perspective on everyday life.

In addition to numerous solo performances, Viktor Gernot is currently appearing with Thomas Stipsits in the duo program "Lotterbuben" – a musical cabaret evening for two friends that brings generations, styles, and realities into conversation with one another.

This album contains no booklet.