ORIGINAL MUSIC
DEBUT ALBUM: LIFE
5/5
Available now on:
LIFE
reviews & press
united kingdom
A highly assured and engaging debut, offering an enticing and contemporary blend of cinematic, classical & middle-eastern themes. Improvisations are inventive, the arrangements are first rate and the variety on offer ensures the entertainment level is kept high.
All in all, a remarkable debut.
All in all, a remarkable debut.
A highly impressive debut from a composer and band leader who is clearly going places.
As you step back from ‘Life’ you recognise that this is an album that has drawn its own subtle arc, that’s taken you back and moved you forward, remembering the familiar and finding new ground. The Maria Grapsa Sextet have written excellent first chapter in a story that looks set to run and run.
Athens born Grapsa beautifully fuses her classical background, her love of modern jazz plus her Greek roots, middle eastern and latin influences.
The sextet’s sound is highly dynamic, moving from pin drop/knife’s edge individual spotlights & emotionally charged balladic melodies, to the untamed energy of burning saxophone solos over a roaring rhythm section.
europe
The music of Life has a boldness that is not easy to find in a first work.
“Life” is a listening option you cannot afford to miss. Grapsa’s music is a celebration of life itself, and this celebration resonates powerfully in every note of this extraordinary album.
Après un premier essai aussi varié, poétique et émouvant que cet album, Maria Grapsa est bien partie pour creuser un profond sillon dans la scène anglaise actuelle qu’elle rehausse de ses multiples talents.
"Life" is an album that touches you with its poetic form, its sense of beauty—beautiful in the sublime voices, composition of the tracks & quality of the instrumentalists’ play. Throughout ‘Life,’ poetry sets in, taking different forms, like scenes on a cinema screen—slices of life unfold, atmospheres from here or elsewhere. You will find this album in our ‘Essentials.
Beautiful work where the defined compositions allow the free expression of each person and a coherent collective.
In ‘Life,’ a new collection of touching and intricate pieces can be found, promising an enriching musical odyssey for jazz enthusiasts.
Η Μαρία Γράψα με το δισκογραφικό της ντεμπούτο “δημιουργεί” απαιτήσεις και προσδοκίες. Είναι μια καθ’ όλα προσεγμένη και εξαιρετικά αξιοπρεπή δουλειά από ένα κορίτσι πολύ νέο και πολύ “κεντραρισμένο” σε αυτό που κάνει.
usa
“Life” is an impressively assured debut album from the Maria Grapsa Sextet. It is a testament to Grapsa’s unique compositional style and her ability to bring together a diverse group of musicians to create a cohesive and engaging musical experience.

LIFE
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