Having spent the last half decade building up a name as a jazz and soul singer of rare distinction, Ada Morghe today releases her fourth album ‘Pure Good Vibes’. Including the singles Shadow, Passion Play (which received 1Xtra airplay), the title track featuring the British reggae icon Maxi Priest and new single Amin Bird – ‘Pure Good Vibes’ is Ada’s most natural album yet: sophisticated jazz and soul that deals with both the romance and reality of matters of the heart.
A trip to Jamaica in January 2024 set the ‘Pure Good Vibes’ album in motion. Ada headed to the island after hearing that her bassist and producer Livingstone Brown, was flying there to work with Maxi Priest. It was an idea that was underlined by her desire to explore the music, culture and Jamaican heritage that had also shaped the lives of her other band members Luke Smith (keyboard) and Josh McNasty (drums). An album project wasn’t the initial plan, but Ada felt spellbound, both personally and creatively, by what she experienced during her Carribean adventure.
The resulting album is a beautiful, intimate reflection on adult themes, such as keeping the passion alive, making the most of life’s sweet moments and capturing the closeness of two people in love, which is underpinned by a sound that, though not beholden to Jamaica’s musical traditions, certainly shares a spirit with them. There are other influences – such as Michael Kiwanuka’s soulful fervour, the vibrancy of ‘60s R&B, and a love of Sade’s ‘Diamond Life’ album which dates back to her childhood – but the shadow of the island looms large.
Before stepping whole-heartedly into music, Ada Morghe was already a renowned actress and an award-winning author in her homeland of Germany. Having written and starred in the play-turned-film ‘Frau Mutter Tier’ and been asked to write songs for its soundtrack, she found herself working with former Prince sound engineer Hans-Martin Buff. That led her to Abbey Road studios in London, her debut album ‘Pictures’, and 2020’s ‘Box’, an expression of her refusal to be tied down to any one genre or profession. From there came 2023’s ‘Lost’, a free-flowing vocal jazz suite based on the four elements, each of which were represented by her regular band, who are completed by guitarist Luca Boscagin.
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