Rehab, Valerie and Tears Dry on Their Own – songs whose melodies start playing in your head the moment you read their titles. They are, of course, just a few highlights from the repertoire of the late queen of soul, Amy Winehouse. For the first time, Alika’s powerful and distinctive voice meets Janno Trump’s musical vision on the Christmas Jazz stage, bringing a fresh, richly nuanced jazz sensibility to Winehouse’s music.
Her timeless hits are reimagined by a seven-piece jazz ensemble featuring a horn section, with the vocals and interpretive flair of Alika, one of Estonia’s most distinctive singers, at its heart.
British singer-songwriter Amy Winehouse (1983–2011) had a career that was tragically brief yet extraordinarily influential, leaving a profound mark on pop, soul and the jazz vocal tradition. Her role in bringing jazz to a wider audience was particularly significant: her early work, including the album Frank, was strongly influenced by jazz, and her musical inspirations included Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald and Dinah Washington.
Winehouse’s breakthrough album Back to Black brought retro-infused soul and jazz-influenced vocals to millions of listeners around the world. In 2008, she won five Grammy Awards, including Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Best New Artist.
Alika has made a major impact on the Estonian pop scene with her powerful voice, precise delivery and confident stage presence. Her song Bridges, which placed eighth at the Eurovision Song Contest, brought her international recognition and has since amassed more than 17 million streams on Spotify. Alika’s voice knows no genre boundaries: she moves effortlessly between pop, soul and jazz-inflected styles and is equally at home tackling the most demanding material.
Acclaimed bassist and composer Janno Trump has created new arrangements especially for this Christmas Jazz concert. Drawing on both the distinctive sound of Winehouse’s legendary band and Alika’s individual vocal style, he brings these two musical worlds together in a fresh and richly nuanced whole.
We thank: Noblessner
Alika – vocals
Janno Trump – arrangements, bass guitar
Mikk Kaasik – keyboards
Markus Nurmsaar – guitar
Hans Kurvits – drums
Allan Järve – trumpet
Markus Eermann – tenor saxophone, flute
Keio Vutt – baritone saxophone
