There are good reasons why the names of all those involved in this album are listed as equal partners. "Moving Times" is the result of real teamwork and is the first production of a newly formed group in which everyone acts on an equal footing. This is not self-evident, because singer Esther Kaiser and guitarist Axel Fischbacher represent two established big names in the German jazz scene, who have been independently leading their own bands for many years and have released a large number of their own albums. The two belong to different generations while bassist Genevieve O’Driscoll and drummer/vibraphonist Michael Knippschild represent another one. That means three generations, two women and two men, and it fits as if there were nothing more normal in the world.

Esther Kaiser and Axel Fischbacher, who started the group, confirmed that this is exactly how it feels. "There is a common mindset in the band," Fischbacher said. Kaiser added: "We function as a quartet in which each member has an equal standing, even though Axel and I initially had the idea." Fischbacher, who has already played in countless, very different ensemble constructs, put it in a nutshell: "It is something special that from such a constellation, in which no one has the upper hand, something artistically so uniform arises and such a result is achieved." In fact, "Moving Times" sounds as if it was created from a single mold. From the start, you can feel a fresh, positive spirit, which runs through the multitude of different compositions (including two revitalized jazz standards) to the final duet of Fischbacher and Kaiser.