Promotion Text
Bettina Meske - Made in Berlin
Made in Berlin - it’s simply the truth: Bettina Meske is a real Berliner.
A powerhouse performer with warmth and humor, born and raised in Berlin. An artist of the highest caliber with a truly exceptional voice.
Bettina wrote and produced every song on her new album “Made in Berlin” for her own Berlin-based label. The mood is laid-back, swingin’; the stories celebrate the little and the big things of everyday life.
Her intimate, impressive performances are enhanced by the support of her excellent band, a tight-knit blend of virtuosity, versatility and joie de vivre.
Though her creative palette is colored and shaped by life-long experiences with various musical genres, Bettina’s heart beats for jazz.
Featuring the classic Jazz-Quartet was the obvious choice to best present her songs on this album, lovingly produced with attention to detail and style, complimented by brilliant guest performances and sprinkled with surprises.
Being a real Berliner is a way of life. There is an expression, ‘wherever you go, you meet a Berliner’.
You may well meet Bettina. Her career as a singer and actress takes her to many places; suitcase cities, temporary towns, but Berlin will always be home. Having honed her craft studying in Vienna and New York, Bettina is in high demand across the stages of Europe, delivering acclaimed and award-winning performances in her engagements as leading roles in musical theater productions.
While many would settle happily for that, Bettina savors the creative and artistic challenges of writing. Observations made on her travels, stories collected, fascinating people met, extraordinary artists worked with, little moments of the everyday, love, life: all serve as sources of inspiration for her lyrics and melodies.
Real Berliners are famous for their humor, and Bettina has it in spades. It’s a way in for her audience, a warmth, a familiarity, winning them further with her innate musicality and focused intensity in performance.
In her songs dealing with the darker moments of life she creates true intimacy, drawing the listener close, moving them with the subtleties of her exceptional voice.
In “The Table Song”, she sings, “It’s not important what you’re getting, it is important what you keep”.
It is extremely likely that the melodies and marvels of Bettina Meske will be kept in the heads and hearts of her listeners for years to come.
All songs: music, lyrics & vocals by Bettina Meske
piano: Sebastian Weiss exc. 11 Paul Hankinson
guitar+banjo: Greg Dinunzi
bass: Matthias „Maze“ Petereit exc. 11 Andreas Henze
drums: Emanuel Hauptmann
guiro+cowbell: Bettina Meske
trombone: Petra Krumphuber
violine: Matthias Brommann
violine II: Marianne Heegaard
viola: Friederike Schumann
cello: Anja-Susann Hammer
09 comp Bettina Meske & Ronnie Vero Wagner
vocals Bettina Meske & Drew Sarich
14 string arragement William Ward Murta
All songs recorded by Holger Schwark and Jörg Surrey at A-Trane Studio Berlin
All songs edited, mixed & mastered by Jörg Surrey at Surrealissounds Studio Berlin
09 recorded by Jörg Surrey at Teldex Studios Berlin
14 recorded, edited and mixed by Emanuel Hauptmann at MPM-Studio Berlin