Rise Caris Hermes & WDR Big Band

• 1 Delighted 07:31
• 2 Twelve For J. 05:57
• 3 Blues No. 1 06:53
• 4 Abeyance 05:12
• 5 A Special Living Soul 08:18
• 6 Caris Bounce 05:06
• 7 Wyan 07:33
• 8 Extraordinary People (Live) 05:22
• Total Runtime 51:52

Info for Rise

JazzJazz has released an album characterised by great sonic elegance, rhythmic energy and a remarkable personal touch. Double bassist Caris Hermes (WDR Jazz Prize 2024) and the WDR Big Band present ‘Rise’.

In autumn 2022, Caris Hermes released her self-titled debut album – an impressive debut, rich in moods, subtle nuances and melodic whims. Her trio with Billy Test (piano) and Niklas Walter (drums), complemented by guests such as Martin Sasse, Andy Haderer and Paul Heller, showcased the bassist as a virtuoso soloist, a confident team player and an original composer. Caris Hermes received widespread acclaim for her debut album – and was awarded the prestigious WDR Jazz Prize in 2024. The jury particularly praised her “stylistic open-mindedness, rhythmic agility and joy in ensemble playing”. Now comes the next chapter: even before the official award ceremony on 14 March 2024 at the Pantheon in Bonn and the subsequent tour, Caris Hermes and the WDR Big Band headed into Studio 4 at Westdeutscher Rundfunk in Cologne. The result: the big band album “Rise”. “Being able to incorporate the depth of my bass line into a big band is a really cool combination,” says Caris Hermes. Although she had played with the WDR Big Band before, this time the line-up was special. No fewer than five of her original compositions, which had already featured on her debut album, were arranged for the large ensemble by Steffen Schorn – including “Abeyance” and “Twelve for J.”, two of her most haunting ballads.

“Extraordinary People” is a sixth track, recorded live in an arrangement by trombonist Carla Köllner. “Rise” is largely a collaborative work by Caris Hermes and Steffen Schorn, who transforms her compositions into finely nuanced orchestral soundscapes.”

Caris Hermes, double bass
WDR Big Band

Caris Hermes
For 15 years now, bassist Caris Hermes has been creating her luminous soundscape, full of references, nuances and delicate moods. Everything seems possible for her within the interplay of swing, groove, straight-ahead and subtle modern jazz.

“I feel particularly at home in modern jazz and straight-ahead – and that’s where I feel most comfortable. It’s simply the music my heart beats for.”

Caris Hermes has long since established herself as a highly regarded, virtuoso sideman, impressing fellow musicians and audiences alike with her rhythmic and melodic versatility. Indeed, her double bass has a voice all of its own: whether singing or humming with sensitivity, grooving soulfully or striding exuberantly, Caris Herms celebrates the immense range of her instrument with delicate sophistication. Her ability to bring to life the complex musical visions of different bandleaders makes her the first choice in her category in Germany.

“I actually discovered my love for the double bass through John Goldsby. I completed the youth programme in double bass with him, and he is the reason I’m doing all this at all.”

Caris Hermes studied at the Folkwang University of the Arts in Essen. There, from 2008 to 2011, she completed the youth programme in double bass under John Goldsby (WDR Big Band).

“For the youth programme – for which my school gave me leave – I travelled from Lippstadt to Essen-Werden, which is an hour and a half by train. During those years, John was like a second father figure to me; he gave me an endless amount of positive input. Of course, he also offered criticism, but he always framed it positively, so that I always left the lesson feeling happy. When teaching music, you’re very close to a person – it’s a very personal experience – and remaining open to criticism in that context is no easy task at all. But John managed to do just that, so I was always highly motivated.”

“During that time, we went through almost the entire history of jazz. John had written three textbooks on the subject, so we worked a lot with sheet music. We covered Paul Chambers, Ron Carter, Ray Brown – all the world’s leading bassists – whilst always staying close to straight-ahead jazz, which is John’s speciality.”

This album contains no booklet.