Sam Braysher: 'That’s Him: The Music of Kurt Weill'

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Sax player Sam Braysher always delights, with his pure sound and seemingly-effortless style. His latest album - That's Him: the Music of Kurt Weill plays with some of the less well-known music of Weill, along with vocalist Sara Dowling and an all-star rhythm section.



Kurt Weill took listeners on a journey around opera, jazz, musical theatre and European classical music and on this 2024 album, Braysher deliberately avoids the composer’s classics like Mack the Knife and September Song. Instead, he brings his intelligent and insightful arrangements to tunes like What Good Would The Moon Be? and Moon-Faced, Starry-Eyed, both composed by Weill with lyrics by Langston Hughes. Gorgeous songs, the former rendered beautifully by Sara Dowling, who won Best Vocalist at the British Jazz Awards in 2019.

Braysher and Dowling are joined by Matyas Gayer (piano), Dario Di Lecce (double bass) and Steve Brown (drums) and the collective tracks bring a new interpretation of a composer we all thought we knew. The title track in particular allows Dowling to bring a new perspective to Weill: That’s Him brings Braysher’s alto in with a steamy and sultry counter-melody that makes this beautiful little tune a touch more than “satisfactory” or “actory” (listen to the lyrics for the gorgeous combination of Weill melody and Nash lyrics).

Alongside the Weill tracks (in collaboration not only with Langston Hughes, but also Ira Gershwin, Alan Jay Lerner, Bertolt Brecht, Sam Coslow and Ogden Nash) sits the delightful Braysher-penned Ships Adrift. The collection works well and Braysher’s own writing confirms his place as one of the finest of London’s sax players.

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