Andrea Motis quintet “Mother’s Day reloaded” gala at the Schweizerhof Bern & The Spa

During the 46th International Jazz Festival in Bern, where world class international musicians perform in over 200 individual concerts in very personal settings, I had the pleasure of listening to Andrea Motis and her quintet.

My son, Peter Schlunegger, a jazz pianist studying at the Hochschule der Künste Bern, invited me to this concert to see Andrea Motis, a jazz musician who is close to his age. Peter knows a lot about her. 

Born in Barcelona,Spain, in 1995, Andrea Motis went to the Municipal School of Music of Sant Andreu, where she studied under bassist Joan Chamorro. He soon after recruited her for his band when she was still a teenager.       

The afternoon’s concert had two sets with a pause in between for baby feeding. Andrea talked about how special it was to play this rescheduled Mother’s Day concert now that she is a mother herself. Her child enjoyed the music along with the rest of us. The concert consisted of jazz, sambas, blues, and even a bit of Opera, from Madame Butterfly.  

 

Andrea Motis is known for her trumpet playing as well as her beautiful voice. She shared the spotlight with her fellow musicians making room for many wonderful solos. Her band is composed of Josep Traver (guitar), Ignasi Terraza (piano), Esteve Pi (drums) as well as Joan Chamorra (bass) naturally.

This was an exclusive Swiss performance, which made it truly special. The music was played with much passion and precision and brought me such joy that I was caught smiling and dancing in my seat. 

The Jazz Festival is very popular with about 30,000 visitors yearly. Well-known stars such as B.B. King, Fats Domino, Ella Fitzgerald and Etta James have been there. It will go on until November 6th so if you love jazz why not check it out.

Credit photos Brigid Fell Schlunegger

About the author:

Brigid Fell Schlunegger has loved photography since her grandmother gave her her first camera at age 10.  After raising 5 children she then went on to photograph celebrities at the Zürich Film Festival and take many travel photos in places as far flung as South Africa and Iceland. Her passion is music appreciation. She enjoys writing about her favourite concerts.