Having built an impressive following on the back of live performances and social media, Berlin’s Moses Yoofee Trio shared their impatiently awaited debut mini-album Ocean in November 2023. Released by Nils Frahm’s LEITER label, it contains five tracks and was praised by the press and audiences alike. The trio – just awarded with the German Jazz Prize as Live Act of The Year – is now responding to constant requests and releasing their acclaimed debut in a limited edition on vinyl.

The trio – pianist/keyboardist/producer Moses Yoofee, bassist Roman Klobe-Barangă and drummer Noah Fürbringer – has lit up Europe’s clubs and venues over recent years with astonishing, almost obscenely tight live shows. Turning as much to RnB, hip hop and soul as more traditional jazz sources, the tunes on Ocean reflect the spontaneity, inspiration and instinctive refinement of their performances. The deliciously frantic title track and increasingly ecstatic ‘Minor Issues’ stand in stark contrast to ‘At Ease’’s restrained complexity, while ‘Fragile’’s hypnotic rhythm betrays their love of hip-hop and the lush ‘Richmond’ is driven by a deliciously low-strung groove before shifting up a gear for its climax. “Everybody loves fusion,” the band agree, “even if they don’t admit it,” but that’s only one element of the trio’s sophisticated style, with Moses’ exceptional keyboard skills illuminated by Roman’s fluid bass lines and Noah’s eloquent drum patterns.