Lisa Wulff – A Portrait

Text: Jan Paersch, December 2025

It’s a home game, yet also a debut: Lisa Wulff has never played at the Elbphilharmonie before as a headliner. »I’m very honoured,« says the bassist from Hamburg, speaking from her car on the way to a concert. »I’ve often performed there with others, but never with my own band. I feel a very close connection to Hamburg, and then to have a release concert in this venue …«

»Close connection to Hamburg« hardly does it justice. Lisa Wulff was not only born here in 1990; she also completed her schooling here and went on to study at the University of Music and Theatre in the city. Most significantly, she has helped shape the city’s jazz scene with her deep tones and compositions for more than a decade now. In recognition of this, she received the Hamburg Jazz Prize in 2019. The citation described her as »a reliable, energetic, calming influence and, at the same time, an inspiring driving force.« By then, she was already a permanent member of jazz legend Rolf Kühn’s band.

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Wulff’s musical affections have always been equally divided between pop and jazz, beginning in the basement of her parents’ home. »I spent a lot of time there with my brother playing electric bass, mostly funk and soul,« she recalls. »I’ve never understood the different camps of so-called serious and popular music. In my own music, I allow myself to do what I want and what interests me – namely, to play good music with good people. No matter what stylistic label ends up being attached to it.«

Independence and spontaneity are also the hallmarks of Wulff’s new project. As soon as the concert date at the Elbphilharmonie was confirmed, the bandleader set about arranging a studio recording session at short notice. »Hand aufs Herz« (»Hand on Heart«) will be the title of her new album, scheduled for release in early 2026. Quartet, quintet, or even sextet? For Wulff, numerology is beside the point – this time, electric guitars were key: »My band already had two drummers and two saxophonists, and now there are two guitarists as well.«

»I’ve never really had a tendency to think about what people expect of me,« says Wulff with a certain nonchalance. »There have been some upheavals in my life recently – and in my music too. I’ve always been fascinated by the sound of the guitar. It feels liberating to follow such an instinct.«

And the double bass? Lisa Wulff cannot contain her enthusiasm. »It’s very close to me in a physical way. That warm sound, and those possibilities! It has an incredible range, from high harmonics to deep grooves. I’m still amazed by its versatility.«

Incidentally, her bass colleague Meshell Ndegeocello is a central figure in why Wulff continued to pursue her instrument beyond those basement sessions at home. »She was a total inspiration – and not because she’s a woman. At first, I only had a burned CD of ›Plantation Lullabies‹ and didn’t even know who was playing. No, it’s the depth of her playing and that groove – that’s what still inspires me to this day.«

This article appeared (in German) in Elbphilharmonie Magazin (Issue 1/26).